| Douglas Fairbairn | |
| Birth Name: | Douglas Behl |
| Birth Date: | December 20, 1926 |
| Birth Place: | Elmira, New York |
| Death Place: | Miami, Florida |
| Occupation: | Author |
| Alma Mater: | Harvard College |
Douglas Behl Fairbairn (December 20, 1926 - October 2, 1997)[1] was an American author who mainly wrote about South Florida. He wrote novels and a memoir.
Born Douglas Behl in Elmira, New York, to Jean Melissa "Missy" (née Fairbairn) and Martin E. Behl. His father was born in Westphalen, Germany, and came to America as a toddler. His mother was born in Huntsville, Ontario, Canada. After marrying in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1918, his parents relocated frequently, living in Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey. His parents got a divorce when he was a child and he never saw his father again. (His father moved back to New York City and later died in Santa Barbara, California, in 1967.[2]) His mother later remarried, to Wesley Hibbard Bunce, and they moved to Coconut Grove, Florida in 1938. After going by Douglas Bunce for a time, although not officially, he legally changed his last name to his mother's maiden name in 1955.[3]
He attended but did not graduate from Harvard College, where he concentrated (majored) in English and was editor of the Harvard Lampoon. His Harvard roommate was the famous American actor Fred Gwynne. He returned to the Miami area where he would live out the rest of his life. He was married to wife Gay Fairbairn.
His screen credits include the television episode "A Man's World" (based on his novel of the same title) for Studio One in Hollywood, the episode "The Voice of Charlie Pont" on Alcoa Premiere (1962), and a 1976 feature film ("Shoot") adapted from his 1973 novel of the same name.