Clyde Dean Blair

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Clyde Dean Blair on the morning of Saturday, January 21, 2017. He is survived by his daughters Sandra Knott (husband Jeffrey Knott) and Susan Teran (late husband Jim Teran) and their six children – Brent Teran, Kelly Fucheck, Michael Bruno, Katie Knott, Kristen Knott, and Kristina Gilbert. He was born in Stockton, Kansas on April 6, 1929; he was the older of two children, his younger brother was the late Marvin Wendel Blair, both born from the union of the late Samuel Clyde and Royetta Marie Blair. At the young age of 8 years old, Clyde began to help run his family farm for 10 years. He plowed fields, maintained crop growth and oversaw the multitude of never-ending tasks required by a rural Kansas farm. Shortly after Clyde graduated from high school, he joined the Air Force on January 4, 1951 and honorably served his country until December of 1954 at the Lowry Air Force Base near Denver, Colorado. This opportunity brought him and his wife, Bertha Herrmann Blair together, who were married on March 22, 1953, a union lasting for 45 years. Once he completed his duty with the Air Force, Clyde went to work for Continental Airlines for 28 years as a jumbo jet airline mechanic. This career took him to Denver, Colorado, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Los Angeles, California, and finally El Paso, Texas. In 1982, Clyde joined forces with a close family friend to start their own venture in providing mechanical and plane maintenance for airlines that did not maintain a ground crew at the El Paso, Texas airport. Soon after, Clyde joined Spirit of America Airlines as a consultant and traveled between Indiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina. He partnered with Spirit of America until his retirement at the age of 62 when he and his wife, Bertha Blair, retired to Kerrville, Texas. During retirement, Clyde enjoyed giving tours at the Mooney International Corporation where he was able to dazzle tourists and visitors with his knowledge of high performance and efficient single engine piston aircraft. After Bertha Blair’s passing, Clyde married Thelma Louise Blair and the two remained in Kerrville, Texas for 8 years until Thelma’s passing. Clyde was also a skilled fisherman, enjoying weekend long fishing trips with his friends and family. In addition he enjoyed playing pool, bowling, skeet shooting, gardening, and spending time with his kids and grandkids. To cherish his memory, Clyde leaves eleven great – grandchildren: Daisy, Zoe, Bradley, Tomas, Lillian, Briahna, Jackson, Jase, Kaleb, Karson, and Kannon. The family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to Katherine Anderson, an LVN for Encompass Home Health Care, for the care provided to Clyde Blair over the last 3 years. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Clyde's name to American Diabetes Association -Giving in Memory. You may leave written memorials to his family at www.shmfh.com

Clyde Dean Blair

April 6, 1929 - January 21, 2017