Raymond H. Blair, a long time Abilene resident, passed away peacefully at home in Lubbock on Friday December 7, 2012 at the age of 96. Raymond was born on January 22, 1916 in Parker County near Boyd, Texas to Emery Wesley Blair and Julia Ann (Sanders) Blair. He was the last of twelve children. He graduated from High School in Springtown and later from Tarleton Junior College in Stephenville where he was the leading scorer on the 1940 State Champion Basketball Team. After college, he began a long career with Southwestern Bell Telephone that would span more than forty years. During WWII, he served as a Seabee in the Navy, stationed in the Aleutian Islands. He later attended Officer Candidate School and then served as an Ensign in the Pacific Theatre. After the war he resumed his career with Southwestern Bell. He married Mary Claude Blacklock from Ranger, Texas on September 13, 1948, the beginning of a long and loving union until her death in 2003. In his later years, Raymond spent many hours listening to his collection of traditional Country and Western music. He was also an avid fan of the Texas Rangers, The Dallas Mavericks, and the Dallas Cowboys, but most of all he enjoyed long conversations with his many friends. Raymond is survived by his daughter, Linda Kolb and her husband Troy of Lufkin, Texas; son, Gary Blair and his wife, Phyllis of Lubbock, Texas; grandchildren, Charles and Robert Philp of Lufkin, Drew Blair of Lubbock and Lacey Blair of Denver, Colorado; and nine great-grandchildren. Raymond was a kind, generous and loving man who will be missed by all who knew him. Online condolences and memories may be shared with the family through the obituary link at www.elmwoodfuneral.com.
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Published in The Lubbock Avalanche-Journal on December 11, 2012