Dale Wesley Blair, age 99, left us behind and moved on to bigger and better opportunities on Tuesday, September 28, 2021.
Dad was born in Prosser, WA on September 9, 1922, the only child of Orville and Billie Blair. He graduated from Yakima High School and Yakima Valley College, and then joined the Army Air Corps (Air Force) in 1942. He earned his pilot's license at age 16, which led to him serving as a pilot and flight instructor with the Air Force. He stayed active in the Reserves and attended weekly meetings with the 9405th, retiring in 1966 with the permanent rank of Major.
Dad married Lois Huff on November 20, 1943, and they were "The Cutest Couple" for 73 years until Mom's death in 2016. After serving in the Air Force, Dad worked in the beverage industry until 1969 when he went to work for KIT radio in sales. He and Mom purchased Yakima Telephone Answering Service in 1971 and expanded the business to include two-way communication, paging and alarm monitoring. Dad retired in 1986, and he and Mom remained in Yakima for the remainder of their lives.
Dad was a founding member of St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, was a long-time member of the BPOE (Elks) 318, and was active in the Yakima Rotary Club. He loved hiking, golfing and vacation trips to the Washington and Oregon beaches. After Dad retired, he and Mom enjoyed winter trips to the California desert where they spent time golfing and making friends in Borrego Springs for several years.
Family was Dad's focus. He loved and cared for his wife until her death, and he loved and cared for his family until his death. He taught his children to always treat others the way they would like to be treated. He supported his children's educational pursuits and was proud of anything and everything they accomplished. He provided unconditional approval and support and said that he viewed his success in life through the success of his family.
Dad was a friend of "the working man" and enjoyed conversations and long relationships with friends in restaurants, grocery stores and businesses all over town. His legacy is his kindness, shared with everyone he interacted with, and passed on to his survivors. He taught us to always tell the truth, threatening that if we didn't, it would always come back to bite us. He taught his oldest son to always have enough money in his wallet to pay for himself and one other person, saying that would make him a very rich man.
Dale is survived by his four children: Doug Blair (Rebecca) of Kennewick, Rich Blair (Becky) and Detta Hanson (Lee) of Yakima, and Dennis Blair (Kathy) of Vancouver, WA. He had five incredible grandchildren: Brett Blair of Yakima, Kevin Blair of West Richland, Jenn Blair of Bogart, GA, Bethany Cozad of Salt Lake City, UT and Nick Blair of Vancouver, WA. He was also blessed with seven great-grandchildren.
Dale's family would like to sincerely thank the wonderful staff at Living Care Assisted Living and at Fieldstone Memory Care for their devotion to his care and comfort. You are all heroic angels in our eyes and hearts.
No formal services are planned. However, the family will gather and celebrate Dad's love of life and family.
Dad was born in Prosser, WA on September 9, 1922, the only child of Orville and Billie Blair. He graduated from Yakima High School and Yakima Valley College, and then joined the Army Air Corps (Air Force) in 1942. He earned his pilot's license at age 16, which led to him serving as a pilot and flight instructor with the Air Force. He stayed active in the Reserves and attended weekly meetings with the 9405th, retiring in 1966 with the permanent rank of Major.
Dad married Lois Huff on November 20, 1943, and they were "The Cutest Couple" for 73 years until Mom's death in 2016. After serving in the Air Force, Dad worked in the beverage industry until 1969 when he went to work for KIT radio in sales. He and Mom purchased Yakima Telephone Answering Service in 1971 and expanded the business to include two-way communication, paging and alarm monitoring. Dad retired in 1986, and he and Mom remained in Yakima for the remainder of their lives.
Dad was a founding member of St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, was a long-time member of the BPOE (Elks) 318, and was active in the Yakima Rotary Club. He loved hiking, golfing and vacation trips to the Washington and Oregon beaches. After Dad retired, he and Mom enjoyed winter trips to the California desert where they spent time golfing and making friends in Borrego Springs for several years.
Family was Dad's focus. He loved and cared for his wife until her death, and he loved and cared for his family until his death. He taught his children to always treat others the way they would like to be treated. He supported his children's educational pursuits and was proud of anything and everything they accomplished. He provided unconditional approval and support and said that he viewed his success in life through the success of his family.
Dad was a friend of "the working man" and enjoyed conversations and long relationships with friends in restaurants, grocery stores and businesses all over town. His legacy is his kindness, shared with everyone he interacted with, and passed on to his survivors. He taught us to always tell the truth, threatening that if we didn't, it would always come back to bite us. He taught his oldest son to always have enough money in his wallet to pay for himself and one other person, saying that would make him a very rich man.
Dale is survived by his four children: Doug Blair (Rebecca) of Kennewick, Rich Blair (Becky) and Detta Hanson (Lee) of Yakima, and Dennis Blair (Kathy) of Vancouver, WA. He had five incredible grandchildren: Brett Blair of Yakima, Kevin Blair of West Richland, Jenn Blair of Bogart, GA, Bethany Cozad of Salt Lake City, UT and Nick Blair of Vancouver, WA. He was also blessed with seven great-grandchildren.
Dale's family would like to sincerely thank the wonderful staff at Living Care Assisted Living and at Fieldstone Memory Care for their devotion to his care and comfort. You are all heroic angels in our eyes and hearts.
No formal services are planned. However, the family will gather and celebrate Dad's love of life and family.
Dale Wesley Blair, age 99, left us behind and moved on to bigger and better opportunities on Tuesday, September 28, 2021.
Dad was born in Prosser, WA on September 9, 1922, the only child of Orville and Billie Blair. He graduated from Yakima High School and Yakima Valley College, and then joined the Army Air Corps (Air Force) in 1942. He earned his pilot's license at age 16, which led to him serving as a pilot and flight instructor with the Air Force. He stayed active in the Reserves and attended weekly meetings with the 9405th, retiring in 1966 with the permanent rank of Major.
Dad married Lois Huff on November 20, 1943, and they were "The Cutest Couple" for 73 years until Mom's death in 2016. After serving in the Air Force, Dad worked in the beverage industry until 1969 when he went to work for KIT radio in sales. He and Mom purchased Yakima Telephone Answering Service in 1971 and expanded the business to include two-way communication, paging and alarm monitoring. Dad retired in 1986, and he and Mom remained in Yakima for the remainder of their lives.
Dad was a founding member of St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, was a long-time member of the BPOE (Elks) 318, and was active in the Yakima Rotary Club. He loved hiking, golfing and vacation trips to the Washington and Oregon beaches. After Dad retired, he and Mom enjoyed winter trips to the California desert where they spent time golfing and making friends in Borrego Springs for several years.
Family was Dad's focus. He loved and cared for his wife until her death, and he loved and cared for his family until his death. He taught his children to always treat others the way they would like to be treated. He supported his children's educational pursuits and was proud of anything and everything they accomplished. He provided unconditional approval and support and said that he viewed his success in life through the success of his family.
Dad was a friend of "the working man" and enjoyed conversations and long relationships with friends in restaurants, grocery stores and businesses all over town. His legacy is his kindness, shared with everyone he interacted with, and passed on to his survivors. He taught us to always tell the truth, threatening that if we didn't, it would always come back to bite us. He taught his oldest son to always have enough money in his wallet to pay for himself and one other person, saying that would make him a very rich man.
Dale is survived by his four children: Doug Blair (Rebecca) of Kennewick, Rich Blair (Becky) and Detta Hanson (Lee) of Yakima, and Dennis Blair (Kathy) of Vancouver, WA. He had five incredible grandchildren: Brett Blair of Yakima, Kevin Blair of West Richland, Jenn Blair of Bogart, GA, Bethany Cozad of Salt Lake City, UT and Nick Blair of Vancouver, WA. He was also blessed with seven great-grandchildren.
Dale's family would like to sincerely thank the wonderful staff at Living Care Assisted Living and at Fieldstone Memory Care for their devotion to his care and comfort. You are all heroic angels in our eyes and hearts.
No formal services are planned. However, the family will gather and celebrate Dad's love of life and family.
Dad was born in Prosser, WA on September 9, 1922, the only child of Orville and Billie Blair. He graduated from Yakima High School and Yakima Valley College, and then joined the Army Air Corps (Air Force) in 1942. He earned his pilot's license at age 16, which led to him serving as a pilot and flight instructor with the Air Force. He stayed active in the Reserves and attended weekly meetings with the 9405th, retiring in 1966 with the permanent rank of Major.
Dad married Lois Huff on November 20, 1943, and they were "The Cutest Couple" for 73 years until Mom's death in 2016. After serving in the Air Force, Dad worked in the beverage industry until 1969 when he went to work for KIT radio in sales. He and Mom purchased Yakima Telephone Answering Service in 1971 and expanded the business to include two-way communication, paging and alarm monitoring. Dad retired in 1986, and he and Mom remained in Yakima for the remainder of their lives.
Dad was a founding member of St. Timothy's Episcopal Church, was a long-time member of the BPOE (Elks) 318, and was active in the Yakima Rotary Club. He loved hiking, golfing and vacation trips to the Washington and Oregon beaches. After Dad retired, he and Mom enjoyed winter trips to the California desert where they spent time golfing and making friends in Borrego Springs for several years.
Family was Dad's focus. He loved and cared for his wife until her death, and he loved and cared for his family until his death. He taught his children to always treat others the way they would like to be treated. He supported his children's educational pursuits and was proud of anything and everything they accomplished. He provided unconditional approval and support and said that he viewed his success in life through the success of his family.
Dad was a friend of "the working man" and enjoyed conversations and long relationships with friends in restaurants, grocery stores and businesses all over town. His legacy is his kindness, shared with everyone he interacted with, and passed on to his survivors. He taught us to always tell the truth, threatening that if we didn't, it would always come back to bite us. He taught his oldest son to always have enough money in his wallet to pay for himself and one other person, saying that would make him a very rich man.
Dale is survived by his four children: Doug Blair (Rebecca) of Kennewick, Rich Blair (Becky) and Detta Hanson (Lee) of Yakima, and Dennis Blair (Kathy) of Vancouver, WA. He had five incredible grandchildren: Brett Blair of Yakima, Kevin Blair of West Richland, Jenn Blair of Bogart, GA, Bethany Cozad of Salt Lake City, UT and Nick Blair of Vancouver, WA. He was also blessed with seven great-grandchildren.
Dale's family would like to sincerely thank the wonderful staff at Living Care Assisted Living and at Fieldstone Memory Care for their devotion to his care and comfort. You are all heroic angels in our eyes and hearts.
No formal services are planned. However, the family will gather and celebrate Dad's love of life and family.
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