George Blair Martin

George Blair Martin

August 16, 1938 - September 9, 2015

New Hill

George Blair Martin, 77, of New Hill, NC, passed away on September 9, 2015, after a two year battle with cancer.

Blair, as he was known to his friends and family, was born on August 16, 1938, in Newberry, SC, to the late George Newton and Mildred Renwick Martin. Although he was an only child, Blair grew up surrounded by a large extended family.

In 1956, Blair graduated from Newberry Senior High School, going on to earn BS and MS degrees in Chemical Engineering from Clemson University, followed by graduate studies at UNC-CH's School of Public Health. On June 12, 1965, Blair married Patricia Price Martin. In 1967, Blair began his professional career serving as a Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service, working in Cincinnati, OH for the organization that would become the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In April of 1972, Blair moved his family to Cary, NC and began working at EPA's National Environmental Research Center in RTP, where he served until his retirement in 2010. During his long career, Blair was the co-inventor on four patents, won numerous awards, authored many technical papers, and traveled extensively to professional conferences domestically and abroad. In addition, he consulted for the Agency on the cleanup of environmental hazards, including the Valdez Oil Spill and anthrax contaminated sites.

In addition to his parents, Blair was preceded in death by his wife, Patricia Price Martin, and his sister-in-law, Brantlee Price Sontag. Blair is survived by his daughters, Wendy Bennett (Brian) of Cary, NC; Erin Perkinson of Arlington Heights, IL; son Russell Martin of New Hill, NC; four grandchildren, Marc and Robert Bennett, and Payton and Reagan Perkinson; nephew, Julian Sontag; and brother-in-law, Joel Sontag. Blair was a devoted family man and a wonderful friend to many. It was common to find him coaching or attending the extracurricular events of his children, and in later years his grandchildren, as well as hosting many memorable parties. During his retirement, Blair enjoyed his weekly card games and frequent lunches with friends.

The family would like to thank the staff from Rex Hematology Oncology Associates, Transitions LifeCare, and Extension of You Home Care for the excellent care they provided.

A memorial service will be held at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Cary, NC, on Saturday, October 10, 2015 at 2:00 p.m., with visitation following the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to support stomach cancer research through Debbie's Dream Foundation (debbiesdream.org) or to The CASL Goal Assist Fund (www.caslnc.com).

Condolences may be sent to the family through www.brownwynnecary.com