Winnifred Lair

Services will be at 2:00 P.M. on Saturday, April 19, 2014 at the First United Methodist Church with Rev. Rick Enns, pastor, and Rev. Kevin Deckard, associate pastor of Polk Street United Methodist Church of Amarillo officiating. The family will receive friends from 5:30 to 7:00 P.M. on Friday, April 18, 2014 at Brooks Chapel. Burial will be in Dreamland Cemetery. Winnifred (Freddie) Ramage Lair was born on August 5, 1926 in Corsicana, Texas to Emma Raburn Ramage and Robert Spurgeon Ramage. The family moved to Borger where she grew up. Surrounded by her family, Freddie peacefully departed this earth to be with the Lord Jesus on April 14, 2014. After living a long life of service to her family, friends, and community, she faced the ending years of her life with the utmost bravery, unselfishness, and grace as she dealt with numerous health problems. She will always be remembered as a beautiful lady of elegance. Freddie was married in 1946 to Avent Wilson (A.W.) Lair and they raised four children in Canyon. She loved the Lord with all her heart and was a dedicated member of the First United Methodist Church in Canyon where she served in various ministries, one of her favorites being the founder and director of the children?s primary choir. She was blessed with a beautiful singing voice and shared it with her church family. Her children have vivid memories of the beautiful solos she sang while they were growing up. Freddie was also gifted as a hostess and cook. She found great joy in entertaining her family, friends and organizations in which she was involved. These organizations included the University Study Club, Fine Arts Club, Sewing Club, Panhandle Plains Historical Museum, and Friends of Fine Arts at WTAMU, the university she attended for four years as a music major, member of Chi Omega, and Who's Who nominee in 1946. She was a member of the DAR with lineage on both sides of her family. She loved to play duplicate bridge and received the honor of Life Master in 1998. She was a member of several bridge groups in both Canyon and Amarillo. Freddie also played the piano at the nursing home in Canyon weekly for many years. Her daily routine usually began with her morning devotional and working crossword puzzles. One of her greatest attributes was her never-ceasing sense of humor. Freddie's primary legacy was living a life of raising children and being at her husband's side as they went from one of ""Dad's"" adventures to the next. She was a good business woman in her own right and never faltered in her support of him. Her children identify with her as being the matriarch of their family who mothered them in a way that made each of them feel there was no partiality of one over the other, something that is very difficult to do. They also remember her as one with tough-minded love at times that helped produce strength in them. Freddie was preceded in death by her parents and two sisters, Marion Ramage and Helen Gerhardt, her husband A. W. Lair, her grandson Brian Lair, and countless precious friends. She is survived by her sons Mark Lair and wife Sally, Jonathan Lair and wife Maria, Greg Lair and wife Marshi, and daughter Susan Lesly, all of Canyon. She is also survived by 8 grandchildren: Melissa Lair, Lisa Boyle and husband Aaron, Kim Swafford and husband Kevin, Robin Cook and husband Jon, Abby Lair, Michael Lair and wife Teresa, Matthew Lair and wife Anna-Grace, Jonathan Lair and wife Suzanne, 9 great grandchildren, her brother-in-law James Lair and wife Margaret, and her sister-in-law, Margaret Lair Bell. She is also survived by her ""adopted"" family member, Kristie Tooley. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the First United Methodist Church of Canyon.