Blair

Harry E. “Bob” Blair, 90, of Butler passed away Tuesday at the University Medical Center in Baltimore, Md.

He was born on May 28, 1923, in Rimersburg, to the late Milford Blair and Mable (Detwiller) Blair.

Mr. Blair was a veteran of the U.S. Army, 1st Division. During World War II, he was part of the first wave of soldiers to land on Normandy Beach on D-Day.

Over the years he was employed by the Butler Veterans Administration, the United States Post Office and Western Auto. Mr. Blair also worked at National City Bank as a bank manager, retiring from there. Mr. Blair was a member of the Hill United Presbyterian Church where he served as an Elder and Deacon. He was a member of the Butler Lodge 272 F&AM, the United Commercial Travelers and the BUCO Travel Club. He enjoyed gardening, camping, trailering and hiking. He was currently a school bus monitor for Valley Bus Lines.

Mr. Blair is survived by his second wife, Gertrude Blair of Butler; five children, Janet Edinger and her husband, Leroy, of Butler, Marilyn Blair of Butler, Larry W. Blair and his wife, Shelvia, of Phoenix, Ariz., Elaine Bieber of Butler and Linda Kotermanski and her husband, Edward, of Cheswick, Pa.; nine grandchildren, Melissa, Michele, Tracy, Troy, Jeff, Greg, Lisa, Gracie and Rich; 17 great-grandchildren; and one sister, Martha Mager and her husband, John, of Butler.

Also surviving Mr. Blair are: six stepchildren, Daniel Hodgkiss and his wife, Shannon; Theodore Hodgkiss and his wife, Judy; Robert Hodgkiss and his wife, Darlene; Larry Hodgkiss and his wife, Pattie; Leonard Hodgkiss and his wife, Christine; and Trudy McNamara and her husband, Daniel; 17 step-grandchildren; 10 step-great-grandchildren; and several nieces, nephews and many friends.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Jane (Polliard) Blair, who passed away on March 8, 1982; two sisters; two stepbrothers; and two sons-in-law, William Bieber and Richard G. Menchyk.

BLAIR — Friends of Harry E. “Bob” Blair, who passed away Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2013, will be received at the Thompson-Miller Funeral Home, 124 E. North St., Butler, from noon to 3 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday.Funeral services will be at 10 a.m. Monday from the Hill United Presbyterian Church, 501 Second St., Butler, with the Rev. Clark Sawyer of the Hill United Presbyterian Church, officiating.Burial will take place in the Squirrel Hill Cemetery in New Bethlehem, Pa.Memorials may be made to the Wounded Warrior Project, 301 Grant St., Suite 900, Pittsburgh, PA 15219.Private online condolences can be given at www.thompson-miller.com.