Cover photo for Margarita Lafourcade Lair's Obituary
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Margarita Lafourcade Lair

December 8, 1917 — March 15, 2014

Margarita LaFourcade Lair, 96, of Hamilton, Montana, passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 15, 2014 at the Discovery Care Centre, where she received the highest level of loving care.

Margarita was born on December 8, 1917, in Santa Barbara, CA. She was preceded in death by her parents, Josef and Josefa LaFourcade, and by her loving husband of 71 years, Clarence Lair. Margarita is survived by her sister Janette, of Ventura, California, and by her three sons; Richard, of Lampang, Thailand, Jim (Sue), of Corvallis, Montana, and Mike (Mary Ann), of Portland, Oregon. She is also survived by her five grand-children ; David (Stephanie) of Citrus Heights, CA., Dan (Danielle), of Grand Blanc, MI, Shelly (Jon), of Orangevale, CA, John, of Seattle, WA, and Chris, of Portland, OR. Margarita also has five great-grandchildren; Anna, Madison, Kylie, Jake, and her namesake, Margarita. She also leaves many beloved nieces and nephews.

Margarita was born and raised around Santa Barbara and Lompoc, CA. Her family moved from Santa Barbara to a ranch in the Jalama District when she was about a year old, and then moved to Lompoc, CA in 1925, where her family bought the Lompoc Laundry. She was the third of four daughters. She and her sisters, Elissa, Lucille, and Janette were always very close. In 1940, Margarita married Clarence Lair. They moved to Rogue River, OR, where Clarence had his first teaching and coaching position. They then moved to Daly City, CA, where they raised their three boys. Clarence taught and coached in Jefferson High School District for many years and Margarita graduated from San Francisco State College and received her teaching credential there. She taught first grade for many years in San Bruno, CA. When they retired, they moved back to Lompoc and then in 1981 to the Bitterroot Valley in Montana to be near their son, Jim, and his family. The Lairs lived happily in Corvallis and Hamilton for the next 33 years, enjoying the many activities which Montana had to offer. Margarita made many wonderful friends at church and in a variety of bridge groups. She was a wonderful cook and she enjoyed entertaining her friends and family for many years.

Margarita and Clarence celebrated their 70th anniversary in October of 2010.Clarence passed away in May, 2011.At that time Margarita moved to Sapphire Lutheran Homes and enjoyed living there before finally moving to the Discovery Care Centre, where she spent the final fifteen months of her life. The family would like to thank the Discovery Care Centre staff for its wonderful, loving care of our mother and grandmother.

A memorial service to celebrate Margarita's life will be held on Saturday, March 22, at St. Francis Catholic Church in Hamilton, at 11:00 a.m. A reception will follow the service at the St. Francis Pastoral Life Center.

The family suggests that memorials be made to the Corvallis Primary School Library, 1020 Eastside Hwy., Corvallis, MT 59828, Emma's House, 800 N 2nd St.., Hamilton, MT 59840, or to the Marcus Daly Hospice Endowment Fund, 1200 Westwood Dr., Hamilton, MT 59840.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Margarita Lafourcade Lair, please visit our flower store.

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