Our
Founders
The Fairbanks Family Charitable Foundation was created by Alan and Elaine Fairbanks of Burnt Hills, New York.
Al Fairbanks was born on July 12, 1933 in North Adams, Massachusetts, the son of Robert and Bessie Toyne Fairbanks. He graduated from Drury High School in 1951 and enrolled at Dartmouth College. There, he completed both his undergraduate degree and MBA from Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business in five years.
Next, Al joined the General Electric Co. Manufacturing Management Training Program. He spent his entire career at GE and worked in several departments, including the research & development center, the foundry, and the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory.
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Elaine Fairbanks (née Elaine Susan Egnor) was born September 16,1938. She grew up in Schenectady, New York and graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in 1957. She then attended St. Lawrence University, where she majored in mathematics. She later received a degree in culinary arts and had a lifelong passion for cooking.
In the summer of 1966, Al designed and built with his own hands a summer cabin on the shores of Schroon Lake in the Adirondacks, where the family spent their summers.
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Al and Elaine were avid outdoorspeople. They enjoyed hiking, biking, skiing and canoeing and climbed the 46 highest peaks in the Adirondacks, making them “46’ers.” They were also members of the Hickory Ski Center ski patrol for more than 25 years.
After Al’s retirement from GE in 1990, they remained vibrant members of their community. They were members of the Burnt Hills United Methodist Church and assisted with the finance and endowment committees and the winter sports sale. Together, they served on the Board of Directors of the Environmental Clearinghouse. Al was also a Junior Achievement adviser, helping young people form and operate businesses, and was a chapter treasurer of the Adirondack Mountain Club. Elaine was President of the Schenectady Women’s Tennis Association, and President of the Schenectady Panhellenic. Al and Elaine also started a catering business together, regularly catering church and other local events.
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Elaine Fairbanks passed away in 2003.
Al Fairbanks passed away in 2006.