Sgt. Maj. Lawrence Blair II

Sgt. Maj. Lawrence Kendrick Blair II

VANCOUVER, WA - Sergeant Major Lawrence Kendrick Blair II USMC (ret.), 82, passed away April 9 in his home in Vancouver, Washington. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, he was the elder son of Daphne Bunting Blair and Lawrence Kendrick Blair of Worcester and attended schools here until joining the Marine Corps in 1956.

He served four tours of duty in Vietnam, receiving the Silver Star and Bronze Star medals for conspicuous gallantry in action, as well as numerous other medals and ribbons, including four Purple Hearts for injuries inflicted by enemy fire. While he survived these injuries, one was sufficiently grave that a Marine officer was dispatched to his parents' house to inform them that his condition and prognosis were both poor. Typically, such visits are made to inform a service member's next of kin that their loved one has been killed in action. Sergeant Blair's family was hugely relieved and grateful, therefore, when he called from his hospital bed three days later to announce his survival. He went on to spend a total of 30 years in the Corps, retiring in the Pacific Northwest, where he served another 18 years as a member of the Clark County Sheriff's Department in Washington state.

Larry loved good storytelling and embellished his own with humor, accents, sound effects, and accurate details. He remembered jokes, poems, and lyrics he heard throughout his life and enjoyed sharing them with others.

He is survived by his wife, Donna Blair, of Vancouver, WA; his brother, Robert Bunting Blair and his wife Susan Henry of Berlin, MA; a daughter, Michelle Blair of Byhalia, MS; three sons, Douglas Blair and his wife Janet of San Antonio, TX, Gordon Blair and his wife Danielle, and Sean Blair and his wife, Carrie, both of Vancouver, WA. He also leaves nine grandchildren: Jackie Blair Crouse and her husband Andrew of Groton, CT; Jasmine Blair and her wife Nicole of Worcester, MA; Wendy Blair of Worcester; Douglas Blair, Jr. of Worcester; and Peyton, Elizabeth, Logan, and Amelia Blair of Vancouver, WA; as well as two great granddaughters, Lileth and Isabelle Crouse of Groton, CT.

A memorial service honoring Larry's life will be held at a time to be determined in Vancouver, WA.

Condolences may be sent to his family at

avonmom82@comcast.net