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OBITUARY David D. Blair
Jr.
 With
great sadness, the family of David D. (Dave) Blair, Jr. announces his
passing on July 1, 2018, at the age of 87 years. Born in Providence, RI,
on June 6, 1931, Dave attended Northeastern University in Boston, MA,
graduating in 1954 with a B.A. in Mechanical Engineering. His career
began in Grand Prairie, TX, as a Test Engineer for Chance Vought
Aircraft Co., eventually establishing his own company, Blair
Engineering, Inc. in 1965. He held the position of Chairman and CEO for
28 years and continued as Chairman Emeritus until his death. Dave
dedicated his life to community service in the Dallas, TX suburb of
Farmers Branch and the surrounding area. In 1992, he was appointed to
the City Council and was elected to three additional terms before being
elected Mayor in 1988, serving until 1996. In addition to his service as
an elected official, Dave dedicated himself to civic, charitable, and
educational pursuits. He and his late wife
Lorraine established the Lorraine and Dave Blair Scholarship Fund
for worthy local High School students. He served on the boards of
numerous organizations, including the Chamber of Commerce, Metroplex
Mayors Association, and the Rotary Club, and he was the founding
Chairman of the North Texas Tollway Authority Board of Directors. In
2015, Dave was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Farmers
Branch Chamber of Commerce. He was also recognized as Metrocrest Citizen
of the Year in 1993. In 2002, the new
Dave Blair Elementary School
was named in his honor. Dave spent many happy days playing golf, skiing,
and flying his Beechcraft airplane. He was an avid sailor and loved
traveling the world with his friends and family. Dave is survived by his
wife of 8 years, Jan (Garb) Blair; his daughters Brenda, Betsy, and
Bobbye, sons-in-law Jim and Ken, granddaughters Kate, Megan and husband
Joey, and grandson Matthew, step-children David and Kara, and three
step-granddaughters. He is predeceased by his wife of 54 years, Lorraine
(Loving) Blair. A celebration of Daves life will be held on July 28,
2018, at 10 a.m. at Blair Elementary School in Farmers Branch, Texas. In
lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the David D. Blair
Memorial Fund benefiting the Oliver Hazard Perry organization, which
provides innovative and empowering education-at-sea programs that
promote personal and professional growth - or to any charity of your
choice. Please insert David D. Blair Memorial Fund in the special
instructions at pay- ment at www.OHPRI.ORG/scholarships. |
Published in Taunton Gazette on July 15, 2018
Published in the Dallas Morning News on July 8, 2019
Submitted by Edward Lynn
Williams
Memorial service planned July 28 for former Mayor Dave Blair
FBTX ~ A Celebration of the Life of former Farmers Branch Mayor Dave Blair has
been planned for Saturday, July 28 at 10 a.m. at the campus bearing his name -
Dave Blair Elementary School.
A civic leader in Farmers Branch for decades, Mayor Blair, 87, died July 1 after
taking ill while on vacation with his family in Orange Beach, Alabama.
Born in Providence, Rhode Island, Dave Blair earned his Bachelor's degree in
Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University in Boston in 1954. He landed
in Texas as a Test Engineer for Chance Vought Aircraft and established his own
company, Blair Engineering, in 1965, where was Chairman and CEO for 28 years.
In 1982 he was appointed to the Farmers Branch City Council where he was elected
to three additional terms before becoming Mayor in 1988. He remains one of the
longest serving Mayors in Farmers Branch history with eight years in office.
Mayor Blair and his late wife, Lorraine, helped establish the Lorraine and Dave
Blair Scholarship Fund for worthy R.L. Turner High School students. He served on
the board of numerous organizations including the Farmers Branch Chamber of
Commerce, Metroplex Mayors' Association, the Farmers Branch Rotary Club and the
North Texas Tollway Authority where he was the original Chairman.
Mayor Blair is survived by his wife of eight years, Jan (Garb) Blair; daughters
Brenda, Betsy and Bobbye; sons-in-law Jim and Ken; granddaughters Kate, Megan
and husband Joey, and grandson Matthew; step-children David and Kara and three
step-granddaughters. He was predeceased by his wife of 54 years, Lorraine
(Loving) Blair.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to the David
D. Blair Memorial Fund, benefitting the Oliver Hazard Perry organization, which
provides innovative and empowering education-at-sea programs that promote
personal and professional growth - or to the charity of your choice.
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