Obituary of Blair, David D. (Dave)

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 Farmers Branch and the Metroplex. In 1992, he was appointed to the Farmers Branch City Council and was elected to three additional terms before being elected Mayor of Farmers Branch in 1988. He served as Mayor from 1988 to 1996. In addition to his tenure as an elected official, Dave dedicated himself to civic, charitable, and educational pursuits. He and his late wife Lorraine helped establish the Lorraine and Dave Blair Scholarship Fund for worthy R. L. Turner HS students. He also served on the boards of numerous organizations, including the Farmers Branch Chamber of Commerce, Metroplex Mayors’ Association, and Farmers Branch Rotary Club. He established the North Texas Tollway Authority Board of Directors, serving as its Chairman. In recognition of his service, Dave was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Farmers Branch Chamber of Commerce in 2015. He was also recognized as Metrocrest Citizen of the Year in 1993. In 2002, the Carrollton/Farmers Branch Board of Trustees named the new Dave Blair Elementary School 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 Dave’s life will be held on July 28, 2018, at 10:00 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.  Go to WWW.OHPRI.ORG/scholarships - please insert “David D. Blair Memorial Fund” in the special instructions at payment. Please leave the family condolences and share memories on this website.