Browse the obituary of residing in the province of Nova Scotia for funeral details
Paul Ellsworth Blair
– 82, of East Mountain passed away on Friday, February 3,
2023 at the Colchester East Hants Health Centre. Born in Truro, he was
a son of the late Lloyd and Mildred (Rafuse)
Blair.
Paul, or
“Grey Owl” as he was affectionately known, was a
well-known and respected sportsman in the Truro and surrounding area.
He grew up on the family farm on the hill in North River, attended a
two room schoolhouse and yearned to be part of the North River Acres
sports teams. Shortly after turning 14, Paul was a regular member of
the North River Acres Men’s Hockey team. He was a reliable
defenseman during the 1950’s guiding the Aces to a DHL
championship. Along the way, Paul was a member of the juvenile Eagles
at the age of 15 as they made their mark in Maritime hockey
circles.
In a humble way, Paul
made newcomers feel inspired to the sport as Lyle Carter recently
said, “Paul welcomed me to the DHL and made me feel right at
home.” At 21, he was a regular guest on “DHL
Roundup” hosted by Winn Langille on Radio CKCL. The Fleming
Arena burned in January 1963, and ended a hockey era that many
Truronians had enjoyed for years.
As Paul was making his
mark in hockey, he was a member of the Truro Kiwanis Juvenile baseball
team that won the Maritime Title at the TAAC. Although Paul
“barely remembered the game”, the game sheet showed
Paul had 1 home run, 2 doubles and 3 RBI’s enroute to a
10th inning victory. He was a regular short
stop and outfielder with the Truro Senior Baseball team and was known
for his explosive power over the right field fence. Paul was equally
at home playing baseball and fast pitch softball despite different
balls, different bats and different pitch deliveries…no
minor feat. Paul played in the District fastball league with a number
of championships under his belt. Memorable teams included the North
River Acres, the Ponderosa Screaming Eagles and the Truro
Mooseheads.
At the
“tender” age of 35, Paul became a big fan of
Farmer’s milk and accepted the offer to play with the Senior
Elks fastball team. Three years later, Paul had been a member of two
maritime championship teams and then a member of the silver medal team
at Hull, Quebec in 1977.
After attending school
in North River, Paul had entered grade nine in Truro and was a member
of the “Schools in Action” team (a precursor to the
Reach For The Top program). With Paul’s involvement on
men’s sports teams at such a young age, his
“hobbies” changed and “the
kid’s” life changed. As Paul said in reference to
his later report card results, “I knew I was not going to
have a career in Latin.”
Paul was married at
age 22 to Jean (Murray) and worked as a parts department employee at
Goodspeeds Ltd. where he helped to keep the department “in
stitches”. As one co-worker put it… “We
got paid for having so much fun.” Later, Paul moved to the
parts department at Stuart Pontiac until his retirement. Paul and Jean
had four grandchildren and several grandchildren. They all meet yearly
at the Blair family get-together at the Blair farm. Paul’s
health deteriorated in 2019 and he was admitted for respiratory
failure and “end of life” care. He rallied and was
discharged a week later. With the aid of a walker and supplemental
oxygen, he had enjoyed family, friends, sporting events and reading
for the past three years. Paul suddenly and unexpectedly deteriorated
and the “Grey Owl” came home to rest.
Paul is survived by
his children, Paula (Cyrus) Illsley of Hilden, Kelly Blair (Maureen
Ralph) of Truro, Scott Blair of East Mountain, Gina (Mark) Whiting of
Ottawa; brothers and sisters, David (Bianca) Blair of Valley, Donna
(Terry) Fenton of Riverview, NB, Mark (Elizabeth) Blair of North
River; cousin, Harold Blair who was just like a brother to Paul;
grandchildren, Jenna (Patrick) Cameron, Nicole (Mitchell) Bell, Laura,
Ben, Sophie and Sam Whiting, Kyle and Riley Blair, Felicia Ralph,
Jennifer Ralph (David Faulkner); seven great grandchildren; many
nieces, nephews and cousins; lifelong friend, Danny
Joseph.
He was predeceased by
his sister, Carol Carrigan; brother, Gary Lee in infancy; and the
mother of his children, Jean Marie Murray.
Arrangements have been
entrusted to Mattatall – Varner Funeral Home, 55 Young
Street, Truro, where Paul’s family will receive friends from
6-8 p.m., Thursday, February 9, 2023. Interment will be at a later
date in Aenon Baptist Cemetery, North River. If so desired, donations
in Paul’s memory to Colchester SPCA are welcomed. Private
messages of condolence may be sent to the family by viewing
Paul’s obituary on-line and selecting “Send A
Condolence” at: www.mattatallvarnerfh.com
1940 2023
Death notice for the town of: Truro, Province: Nova Scotia
death notice Paul Ellsworth Blair 1940 2023
obituaries notice Paul Ellsworth Blair 1940 2023
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Paul Ellsworth Blair 1940 2023 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
