Lewis Alexander

Fairfield

Lewis Alexander Fairfield

April 09, 1947 to October 16, 2026

A Life Remembered

Lewis was born at the old Gila General Hospital in Globe, Arizona to Jose (Jimmy) Fairfield and Amelia ( Melie ) Fairfield. He is preceded in death by his parents, his brother Jimmy Fairfield, and his cousin Osmund (Bird Dog) Fairfield. Lewis is survived by his wife, Melinda Fairfield, his children Trieste Fairfield, Josaam Fairfield, Adriana Fairfield Veliz and his stepdaughter Elizabeth Hoyt. Services are private.

Lewis, primarily known as Louie and Dad, attended all local schools in Globe through his high school graduation. Louie also interned at Inspiration Consolidated Copper Company (ICCCO) during the summer of his junior and senior years of high school. These internships stood him in good stead for future employment with several local area mines.

After high school graduation, Louie attended Arizona State University. He spent a few years in the philosophy department discovering that was not his niche. Vietnam was in full swing, his academic interests were uncertain, so he enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1967.

Louie returned to Globe in 1971 at the end of his active duty. He treasured his time with the Air Force. His experience as a mechanic on reciprocating engine aircraft and then as a crew chief, became the platform for a stellar work ethic and a love of all things mechanical.

Louie hired on with ICCCO after experience at a small local mine. He worked his way into a salaried position years before ending his almost 31-year mining career in 2000.

Louie, keenly interested in most things artistic, began carving wood with great passion and abandon around 1996. Thanks to gentle encouragement and suggestions by Laurie Manzano, Louie was able to show his work at her gallery, The Blue Mule, and at the Cobre Valley Center for the Arts. This lead to interest in his work by galleries in Phoenix, Scottsdale and later, Sedona. Louie then felt he needed formal training in art to pursue his passion and help support his family.

To that end, Louie returned to Arizona State University. He entered the Katherine K. Herberger College of Fine Arts, finally finding his niche. He graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2007 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. His artistic interests continued to evolve in his sculptures, leading to sales around the United States and globally.

Long before declining health and waning energy resulted in an inability to create his passions and desires, Louie read. His interests in global art, religions both vast and tribal and world history kept his active mind engaged. When he was no longer able to sculpt, he expanded his musical interests, spent more time in our gardens, doing his best to ensure our home and aging vehicles continued to function and provide safety and comfort.

This man, the memories of this man, could fill volumes. As long as this is, it is only a rudimentary overview of a life lived to the best of his ability at almost any given moment. He had a smile that illuminated every good in the room. His resonant voice, saying ‘Good morning!’ had you believing the day would be fabulous. Louie’s ability to listen to you, really listen, was incomparable. His kindness and generosity were monumental. Louie is around every corner, inside every breath and heartbeat, illuminating every thought and feeling.

The leader of our small tribe is gone. He left us in his beloved home, October 16, 2026. He left me, as he promised to do in 1996, together ‘til death do us part’. He left his children, always wanting the very best for them. Louie was a gift to each of us. We will miss him dearly, love him always, through our end of time. Until then, Fare thee well, Tender Soul.

Dad - Walking Star

On 10/16/2026, you left your Earthwalk and started your journey Home. Saturday morning, 10/17/2026 I was awakened from my sleep to hear of this. From that moment, it has felt like a dream. This feeling is indescribable. The millions of heartbreaks, the shocks, numbness at times, still smiling at the memories with scattered tears, talking to you throughout my day in ways I couldn’t access before. I miss you so much! So many things. You taught me…gentleness and to walk softly upon the earth. That all creatures and nature, are sentient and deserve and require our reverence. Rock hunting and stick finding, gathering wood and gourds and leaves and flowers and anything that felt good. Seeing the beauty that surrounds us at all times. Connecting with the natural world, The Mother and thereby God, The Father. The beauty of creation and creating in and of and for itself. A love of art in all forms and the encouragement to pursue My Arts. You continue to teach me so much indirectly. Have I said that I miss you? I’m also grateful you can be free and with the Lord, Our Great Spirit. You sent me this blessing when I was young, lost and trying to make sense of life. I have continued to treasure it and return to it throughout my own Walk.

“Hold on to what is good, even if it is a handful of earth. Hold on to what you believe, even if it is a tree which stands by itself. Hold on to what you must do, even if it is a long way from here. Hold on to life, even when it is easier letting go. Hold on to my hand, even when I have gone away from you.” Pueblo Blessing

Walking Star, You have been a star in my life and I, Trieste, Mighty Dancing Star, will love you eternally. May your soul rest in peace.

A Creative Spirit and Warm Heart

To know my dad was to appreciate his creative spirit and warm heart. As an artist, he saw beauty in the world around him and captured it through his work, leaving behind a lasting expression of his unique vision and passions.

He was a wonderfully kind and present father. He filled his family’s lives with unconditional love, guidance, and patience. His presence was a steady comfort, and his teaching lives on not only in the art he created, but in the strength, compassion, and values he passed down to those he loved.

On the days my dad and I would check in with God, we would ride our bikes from the house to the Gila Pueblo College. We would select a small boulder from the ground to fit in each hand. He would show me how to exercise my arms into a bicep curl. If I focused on the strain, he’d remind me of my reflection in the koi pond. If my eyes follow my image, he’d make the wind pass over my face; any other small act would only cause the water to ripple to mind my breathing. My dad was good, and he was my good friend too. We would return home and talk for the rest of the weekend. He never left my side on the weekends, always a present father, there to show me how the world works. “Earth School” is what he called it, and I was his son and very best student. I would always bring him “A’s” from school as he rewarded it. He was thorough and intentional, like the sound a paintbrush makes against a canvas. “Follow your dreams”, he would tell me every day, “you can be anything you want to be, son.” I love and miss him greatly. ~ Boy

My Dad, My Heart

You taught me to love and cherish all living things, to appreciate the beauty of nature, and to find meaning in the little things that others might overlook. You taught me to find beauty in art, and that it is all around us.

You always made me feel that my thoughts, words, and feelings were important. You listened to me, valued me, and made me feel loved for exactly who I am. I always knew that I mattered. You chose me to be your daughter, and I will cherish that for the rest of my life. Being chosen, loved, and accepted has left a permanent mark on my heart.

The lessons you taught me are woven into the person I am today. Every time I stop to appreciate nature, show kindness to a living thing, or remind myself that my feelings matter, a part of you lives on in me.

Losing you means missing a piece of my world, MY HEART, but the love you gave me is something I will never lose. I will carry your lessons your love, and the memory of our bond with me for the rest of my life.

Thank you for choosing me, Dad. Thank you for loving me, for listening to me, and for teaching me what truly matters in life. I will always be your daughter, and you will always be part of me.

My Dad, I love and miss you so much!

All my love, Banana

Forever Grateful

The bond I shared with my bonus dad was one with no strings, no expectations, and no responsibilities. He loved me purely and kindly, as if I were his own. His love was never conditional; it was simply given, and I will be forever grateful for that.

He taught me to appreciate the small things in life and to look outside the box when it came to my feelings, emotions, thoughts, expectations, and spirituality. He encouraged me to see things differently, to look deeper, and to appreciate the beauty and meaning in the things that might otherwise go unnoticed.

He had such a deep appreciation for nature, and he taught me to see the world through those same eyes. He helped me recognize the beauty in the simplest things, to slow down, look around and appreciate the wonders of the natural world that we often take for granted. Because of him, I will never look at nature through the same lens. It is one more beautiful gift he leaves with me.

His laughter filled my heart and the room. His smile was so genuine and pure. In the more than 30 years we drifted in and out of each others lives, there were a few things I could always count on: his gentle nature, his soft spoken voice, his ability to bring calm to even the most chaotic experiences.

Lewis had a quiet and beautiful way about him. He didn’t need to be loud to make an impression. His kindness, gentleness, and love spoke volumes.

I will forever cherish the gift of having him in my life and the love unconditional love he gave me. The love I felt from him was never anything less than a father.

Thank you, Louie, for loving me so purely, for the lessons you taught me, and for being exactly who you were.