Neville Robert Blair

THE older generation of rugby league fans remember Nev Blair as a driving force behind the Wests Mitchelton club and one of the greatest figures in the junior league for many decades.
He was involved in almost every facet of the club and the junior club for many years, including coaching proteges such as Michael Hagan and Shaun and Barry Berrigan.
But his family simply remember him as a wonderful father and grandfather who always made time for the kids.
The eldest of Robert and Jeannie Blair's three children, Nev was a standout at every team sport in his days at Ithaca State School. Although tennis was not his favourite, he was still able to beat his sister Gloria despite the fact she was an Australian junior title holder.
His sporting prowess continued at State Industrial High School, where he even represented Brisbane Boys' Brigade Company in gymnastics.
He left school after his junior year and became a telegram boy at the GPO and many years later finished his working life as a telegraphist supervisor.
While working at the post office, he began coaching football at Wests Ithaca. His team not only won the premiership and scored 411 points over the season, they conceded not one point to their opponents.
With his old teacher Eric Wenck, he held talks with Wests Leagues officials and started Wests Ithaca. Mr Blair played with the new team, as well as Wests Panthers, before representing Brisbane in reserve grade in the Bulimba Cup.
After a transfer to Melbourne he returned home and soon married and began his own family, which came to include three children - Jenny, Lynnette and Robbie.
During this time, he and Frank Lind formed Wests Mitchelton Junior Rugby League. It was the start of a long association which saw him become a life member of the club (and of the Brisbane Junior Rugby League) as well as its patron, registrar and judiciary representative.
His commitment to the club reached into almost every possible area, including working in the canteen at Lang Park for Wests, supplying luminaries like Billy J. Smith and Ross Lawson with pies and refreshments.
Mr Blair was still a keen fan of other sports and found time to be active with Oakleigh Basketball Club and Brisbane Basketball. Under his and Ken Harvison's leadership, the Wests Mitchie basketball club was formed.
He also encouraged the Dairy Cows and Dairy Maids touch footy club to come under the Wests Mitchie umbrella.
As many family holidays were spent at Mooloolaba, he and his family joined the surf club and Mr Blair spent a lot of time helping it during the 1970s.
Following the breakdown of his marriage, Mr Blair took responsibility for bringing up his children. Not surprisingly, they became sports fans too.
The girls played representative basketball and touch football, while Robbie played for Wests Mitchelton and Wests A grade.
Mr Blair also spent many years supporting his grandchildren. There were endless games of netball, softball and touch footy for the granddaughters to attend, not to mention league matches for Wests Mitchie with his grandsons, one of whom now works for St George Dragons.
On his retirement from the post office, Mr Blair decided to expand his Wests Mitchie duties to include looking after its grounds.
He put in many hours as honorary groundsman until a heart attack and stroke forced him to relinquish the role.
By the 1990s his health had declined and he moved into the John Wesley Gardens Nursing Home at Geebung, where he became a favourite of the staff.
A highlight of those times were visits from his beloved grandchildren.
In 2002, Mr Blair's lifetime of dedication to football was recognised with a Brisbane Junior Rugby League Meritorious Service Award.
The current under-18 competition, the Nev Blair Shield, is named in his honour.
Mr Blair is survived by his sister Gloria, his children Jenny, Lynnette and Robbie and their partners, as well as his grandchildren Scott, Kelly Amanda, Kylie, Rebecca, Troy and Kyle.