DONALD L. "DON" BLAIR

Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home

Donald L. 'Don' Blair, formerly of Milton-Freewater, passed away June 4, 2011, at the Washington Odd Fellows Home in Walla Walla at the age of 84 years. A funeral service will be held on Friday, June 10, 2011, at 2 p.m. at the Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home Chapel in Milton-Freewater. Interment will follow at the Milton-Freewater Cemetery. Those who wish may make memorial contributions in memory of Don Blair to the Alzheimer's Association in care of the Munselle-Rhodes Funeral Home, 902 S. Main, Milton-Freewater, Oregon 97862.

Donald Leonard Blair was born on December 28, 1926, the son of Harry and Edith (Morrison) Blair in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He grew up in Minneapolis and later the family moved to Libby, Montana, in 1938. Mr. Blair worked in the logging industry and in 1945 joined the Armed Forces during World War II. He was honorably discharged in 1948 from the paratroopers division. In 1949, Don met Etta Mae Garren and they were married on June 25, 1950, in Butte, Montana. In 1963, the family moved to Milton-Freewater, Oregon, where Don again worked in the logging industry and later as the family grew he worked at Boise Cascade until his retirement in 1990. Don enjoyed hunting, fishing, golf and flying. He also liked woodcarving and created wooden animals and cowboys for the children. Our family will miss his ability to fix any and everything.

Survivors include his wife, Etta Blair of Walla Walla; children, Donald Leonard Blair Jr. of Portland, Oregon; Harry 'Hal' Burton Blair of Phoenix, Arizona; Beth Schlatter of Spokane, Washington; Ronald Lee Blair of Milton-Freewater, Oregon; Patricia Lynch of Walla Walla, Washington; and Tamara Eiffert of Gresham, Oregon; 10 grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren and other relatives and friends. His parents, a brother Fred Blair and a sister Betty Kinports all preceded him in death.