Vondel Smith Mortuary North (13125 N. MacArthur Blvd)

Retired Oklahoma State Senator Mike Fair peacefully passed away at his home on February 28, 2022. Mike was born as Michael Edward Fair in Birmingham, Alabama on December 11, 1942, to Roland Fair, Sr., and Viola Parrish. Both parents preceded Mike in death along with brother Roland Fair, Jr.. Mike is survived by his wife of 42 years, Sharon Tate Fair of Oklahoma City; his son Michael E. Fair II (Lynne) of Texas; three grandchildren, Jeffrey Cronch (Jill), Michael Fair III, and Rhiannon Fair and great-granddaughter Flora Cronch. Siblings Shirley Fair Straker and William Fair, of Florida. His in-laws are John Tate, Michael and Rebecca Tate and nephew, Matthew Tate. Mike is survived by six godchildren, and their families, all of the Oklahoma City area. They are Keri Esmon, Jamie Gary, Lori Wilcox, Mindy Nockels, Ashley Conder, and Cale Nockels. Mike frequently said, "I can't even imagine my life without my godchildren and their families."

Mike competed in junior and senior high football, tennis, swimming, and track while a resident of East Point, Georgia. Mike's family moved to Oklahoma City in the spring of 1959, while Mike was in the tenth grade and attended U.S. Grant High School. In 2001, he served as general chairman of the East Point, Georgia, Russell High School Reunion, when the classes of '59, '60, '61, and '62 held a giant joint reunion and all-sixties party.

Mike proudly served in the U.S. Army, earning the "Korea Defense Service Medal" for his service on the Korean DMZ while assigned to the First Cavalry Division during the Cuban Missile Crisis. After his Army service, Mike attended OU and UCO. He completed his Bachelor of Science degree at Southwestern Christian University in Bethany and in 2005 received the "Alumni of the Year Award" from Southwestern Christian University for his lifetime of achievement. He studied Master's level History at New Mexico Highlands University and at UCO. Mike also completed an immersion course in Spanish while residing in Spain. Mike wrote a significant paper on Teddy Roosevelt for a graduate class on "History of the American Presidency," of which Mike included his favorite Roosevelt quote:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

At age 23, Mike was first elected to the state House of Representatives in November 1966, from southwest Oklahoma City. He again won a state House seat in 1978, serving eight more years from northwest Oklahoma County and part of Canadian County. In 1986, he left the House to run for Governor, finishing second in the five-man Republican Primary. Mike was elected as a state Senator in 1988 from a district, which included Nichols Hills, The Village, Putnam North, and a large population from northwest Oklahoma City. He was reelected to the Senate in 1992, 1996, and 2000, serving until November 2004, when Term-Limits took effect. Mike said, "I voted for term limits but didn't realize just how much I would miss being in the action."

As a House member and a Senator, Mike led the16 year legislative effort to pass a state Right to Work law. When he was elected President of Oklahomans for Right to Work, in the spring of 2000, the momentum accelerated. He also served as Chairman of LUV Oklahoma, a political action committee which stood for, "Let Us Vote" on Right to Work. Mike received a "Power to the People" award from the Oklahoma State Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2000 for his advocacy on behalf of a state Right to Work law. The people of Oklahoma passed a Right to Work amendment into the state Constitution in a special election on September 25, 2001. That same year the State Chamber named Senator Fair "Legislator of the Year" for his leadership in successfully passing Right to Work into law.

After retiring, Mike wrote to his political supporters, "To you who have supported my campaign efforts, I never took your support for granted. I accepted your votes and your contributions with humility. There is no greater honor than being given the sacrifice of trust from your peers and neighbors for which I am eternally grateful."

Mike visited Asia three times, one courtesy of the U.S. Army and two private trips. He and Sharon have vacationed in Europe twenty-five times, visiting many of the historical sites and most of Europe's great museums in places such as London, Edinburg, Paris, Amsterdam, Versailles, Berne, Lucerne, Munich, Prague, Seville, Madrid, Rome, Florence, and Vienna. Another adventure was when Mike and Sharon snorkeled for hours in Mexico's Gulf of California and Mike later parasailed over the southern tip of Baja Peninsula, at Cabo San Lucas.

Mike was editor of Skier USA Magazine from 1976 to 1978. Mike loved to snow ski and he and Sharon skied up until she said "enough is enough for me" about three years ago. He played golf as often as possible, which meant sometimes two or three times a week. Mike was an avid fan of OU Sooners football, and college football in general. Among Mike's various memberships and honors included two terms as Chairman of the Central Oklahoma Chapter of Mensa. Mike spoke to International Mensa groups in Hong Kong, Seoul Korea, Lucerne, and Berne Switzerland. Mike earned life membership in Mensa's Triple Nine Society (membership requires a one-in-a-thousand IQ, measured from an approved, proctored IQ exam).

Mike and Sharon, have operated Fair Insurance Agency since 1983. Their church home for many years was Lakeside Assembly of God and for the last several years, they have called North Church, on Memorial home. Mike told his wife, Sharon, daily, "Thank you for choosing me" and "I love you."

After a January 1997 six-bypass, open-heart procedure was performed, Mike specifically wanted to thank Dr. Shujahat Shah, from Oklahoma Heart Hospital, for giving him so many extra years of great life quality.

Mike is loved beyond measure by his family and friends. Mike's next great adventure is his welcoming to Heaven.

Services will be held 11:00 am Saturday, March 5, 2022 at the Vondel Smith North Colonial Chapel (13125 N. MacArthur Blvd, OKC, OK 73142)