John Richard “Dick” Blair, 83, of Harlansburg Road, Slippery Rock, Scott Township, Lawrence County, passed away Tuesday at Jameson Hospital, New Castle.

He was born in Irwin Township, Venango County, on Jan. 30, 1929, to Loyal Claude Blair and Dorothy Elaine Cokain.

He married Esther Vera Glunt on Aug. 23, 1950, and she preceded him in death on Aug. 31, 2008.

He was a lifelong farmer and also sold International farm equipment with Wick Implement in Slippery Rock. He later worked for H.W. Cooper where he was a concrete mixer driver and drove block truck. He then worked for Penn Power as a boiler operator until his retirement in 1991.

He was a member of Lodge 603 Grove City F&AM and the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, Valley of New Castle. He was a member and past president of the Western Pennsylvania Antique Pullers Association and a member of the Mercer County Antique Pullers Association. Restoring antique tractors was among his hobbies. He served as both a trustee and elder as a member of the Plain Grove Presbyterian Church.

Surviving are four sons, Rodney N. and his wife, Beverly, Blair of Slippery Rock, Charles R. and his wife, Kay, Blair of Reading, W.Va., Michael A. Blair and his companion, Mary Lou Ehrenberg, of New Castle and Brian P. and his wife, Janice, Blair of Wampum, Pa.; one daughter, Darla M. and her husband, Robert, McCandless of Slippery Rock; and one brother, Leonard Lee Blair of Franklin. Also surviving are nine grandchildren, three stepgrandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife and his brother, Elton N. Blair.

BLAIR — John Richard “Dick” Blair passed away Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012. Visitation will be at Smith Funeral Home, 421 New Castle St., Slippery Rock, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Friday. A Masonic service will be observed at the funeral home at 9 p.m. Visitation also will be at the Plain Grove Presbyterian Church, 620 Plaingrove Road, Slippery Rock, from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday.Services will be at the Plain Grove Presbyterian Church at 11 a.m. Saturday with Dr. F. Stanley Keehlwetter officiating.Interment will be in South Plain Grove Cemetery.Memorial contributions may be given to the Plain Grove Presbyterian Church, 620 Plaingrove Road, Slippery Rock, PA 16057.