Alice Shinn Blair
Share
A Celebration of Life service for Alice S. Blair, 101, Lawrence will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 27, 2024 at the Warren-McElwain chapel in Lawrence. Private inurnment will be at Highland Cemetery, Ottawa.
Mrs. Blair passed away September 8, 2024 at the Lawrence Presbyterian Manor.
She was born December 20, 1922 in Ottawa, the daughter of Jacob Elwin and Drusilla Moses Shinn. She grew up in Ottawa and graduated from Ottawa High School in 1940. Alice attended Ottawa University 1940-42 and then completed her bachelor’s degree at Kansas State University in 1944.
She was a Field Director for the Girl Scouts of America prior to her marriage to Donald Eugene Blair on April 12, 1950 in Ottawa. The couple lived in Lawrence until 1964, when they relocated to Emporia as owners and directors of the Blair Mortuary. In retirement, Don and Alice returned to Lawrence in 1990 and enjoyed re-establishing ties with friends and community interests.
She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister Adeline Shinn Large; her son Jeffrey Alan Blair and her husband Don. Alice is survived by her daughter Karen Blair of Omaha; daughter-in-law Sandy H. Blair; grandchildren Adam H. Blair (Aimee Boer) and Kate L. Blair, and great granddaughter Eady.
Alice was a member of Plymouth Congregational Church for over 70 years. She was active in various organizations in both Lawrence and Emporia, including Altrusa International, D.A.R., Review Study Club, and the P.E.O. Sisterhood. Alice served as president of Kansas State Chapter of P.E.O. 1983-84 and was a member of the following local P.E.O. chapters during her lifetime: AU Ottawa, EA Lawrence, ES Emporia, HY Emporia, and JJ Lawrence. She and Don especially loved serving as a host family for American Field Service and Rotary International. These experiences brought lasting friendships around the globe which continued throughout her life.
The family suggests memorials to Theatre Lawrence or Cottey College, sent in care of the Warren-McElwain Mortuary 120 W. 13th St. Lawrence, KS 66044.
In memory and celebration of the life of Mama Blair, I have very found memories of Alice Blair as a warm mother of my hostfamily during my AFS 1971/72 stay at the Blair Family in Emporia.
She made great efforts to make you at ease and to make my stay memorable; Thanks for this time we could share and the many visits back and forth till recently. As Don or papa Blair said: do not forget to smell the roses on your journey in life. He and Mama Blair sure helped me to do so.
I send by this my sincere condoleances to Karen, Sandy, Adam, and Kate, and family, and friends of Alice Blair.
Francine Danniau, Ghent, Belgium, 13/09/2024
In loving memory of Alice Blair. What an amazing woman was Alice Blair who lived a long and enriching life – sharing with others her friendship and warmth. From the day she knocked on our “on-campus” apartment door in August, 1974 – welcoming us to Emporia, Kansas we became immediate friends. We had just arrived in the USA from Australia and my husband Arnold was to take up a 2 year Study program at Emporia Kansas University. Our two children aged 7 and 9 were immediately welcomed into Alice and Don’s home as temporary “grandchildren”. Alice became my friend, big sister and confidant and the Blair family became our adopted family during our two year stay in the USA.
Over the following fifty years our families visited each other between Australia, New Zealand and the USA. Hundreds of letters have been flown back and forth across the Pacific on a regular basis and we all regarded each other as close family. So many lasting memories we will carry always.
Vale Alice.
Arnold, Beryl, Brad and Peta Wolff
Brisbane, Qld. Australia
14th September, 2024
Our sincere condolences to Karen, Sandy, Adam, and Kate on the loss of Alice. It is so hard to have another loss so soon after Jeff.