Tucson photographer Lance Fairchild didn't originally want to be a photographer. He wanted to be a pilot like his father.
But for countless people, from children to celebrities to U.S. presidents, Fairchild's decision to become a photographer was one of the best decisions he ever made.
Fairchild died Friday after a seven-year battle with cancer. He was 48.
Fairchild was best known as one of the most popular and prolific portrait photographers in Tucson. His studio served thousands of people, and he photographed both George and George W. Bush, Ronald and Nancy Reagan and Olympian Kerri Strug.
"His photography was a gift," said his wife, Pamela Fairchild. "He was beyond talented."
Fairchild was born in 1957 in Sands Point, N.Y.
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Fairchild lived the majority of his life in Kansas City, Mo. He moved to Tucson in 1979.
He discovered cameras at a young age and opened Lance Fairchild Photography in the 3100 block of North Stone Avenue in 1985. Fairchild's love of interacting with people complemented his love of photography, Pamela Fairchild said.
"He got excited about people," she said.
Friends and family said Fairchild's philosophy of "let's concentrate on the solution, not the problem" was the driving force behind his actions. He was always positive, always willing to work through anything, they said.
"When he was sick, he didn't like to lay down," Pamela Fairchild said. "He just refused to slow down."
Lance met Pamela in the mid-1990s and they married in 1997. It was just after their honeymoon that he was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. It was suspected he would not live for more than three years nor have children. He beat both of those predictions.
His son, Lance, was born in 1998, and the cancer stood at bay for seven years before complications this year led to a deterioration in health.
"He was always so upbeat and positive," said friend Jacqueline Agers. "He could put anyone at ease."
Fairchild also enjoyed spending time with his son. Pamela Fairchild said the two Lances would go swimming together every day, even when it was cold.
Fairchild's demeanor moved beyond the photography studio. Friends said he was generous to anyone he met.
One friend, photographer Michael Pitts, described a time when Fairchild gave a homeless man a bicycle after the man had been robbed the night before. The bicycle also came with a package of food.
"He always had a smile on his face that he was up to something, and usually he was," Pitts said.
The American Cancer Society awarded Fairchild "Survivor of the Year" in 2000.
As the cancer returned, friends said Lance was still upbeat. Pitts said Lance told him the two were going to San Diego in July — there wasn't a question about it.
"And you know what, I made plans," Pitts said.
In addition to his wife and son, Fairchild is survived by his mother, Patricia Fairchild, sisters Dyann Fairchild Miller and Linda Fairchild Woodside, and brother Kenneth Fairchild.
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at Calvary Chapel, 5710 S. Julian Drive.
