William Blair

William (Bill) Allen Blair, 79, of DuBois, passed away surrounded by his loving family on Thursday, February 19, 2026, at DuBois Nursing Home.

He was born in Punxsutawney on November 17, 1946, a son of the late William Wilson Blair and Kathryn Luemma (Frederick) Blair.

Bill was a 1964 graduate of Punxsutawney Area High School and went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Penn State in 1968 through the Naval ROTC program.

Mr. Blair was a United States Navy Veteran and faithfully served his country as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal officer through two tours in the Vietnam War. He proudly retired from the US Navy at the rank of Commander and lived in Japan and Hawaii before living most of his life on the west coast in California. He went on to work at Dole in Hawaii while earning a Master of Business Administration from the University of Hawaii and later worked at the Federal Reserve Bank in San Francisco, Loomis, and Diebold.

He was a man who lived life at full speed, always chasing the next challenge or adventure. Whether he was training for his next marathon, powering through early morning practices with his rowing team, racing his RX7, or diving for abalone, he thrived on discipline and teamwork. In his free time, he also enjoyed shooting sports and strumming his guitar to the Kingston Trio and The Ventures. He took pride in working hard and self-reliance, believing that dedication and effort were the keys to a fulfilling life.

He is survived by his stepmother Marianne Blair; one son, William “Will” Wilson Blair of Santa Rosa, California; stepdaughter, Alexis (R.J.) Beebe of Santa Rosa, California; two step-grandchildren, Roman Beebe and Penelope Escobedo; three sisters, Mary (Ken) Mack of Punxsutawney, Debbie (Donald) Catanzarito of Medina, Ohio, and Karen (John) Knopick of Punxsutawney; one brother, David E. (Deb) Blair of Punxsutawney; six nieces and one nephew.

Preceded in death by his parents, William and Kathryn.

Friends will be received from 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday, April 25th, 2026, at Shumaker Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held at noon and military honors will be accorded graveside at Greenwood Cemetery, Circle Hill.

Military honors will be accorded graveside and his ashes will be interred at Circle Hill Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made in Mr. Blair’s memory to Parkinson’s research at www.parkinson.org or DuBois Nursing Home.

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