Blair T. Smith

Blair T. Smith, 82, of Grants Pass died Monday, Oct. 4, 2010, at his home. A celebration of his life will be held Friday, October 8th with refreshments starting at 4:00 PM and service starting at 4:15 PM, Grants Pass Golf Club, 230 Espey Road with Pastor Ken Bern officiating. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Grants Pass Golf Club Junior Golf Program, 230 Espey Road, Grants Pass, OR 97527; or to the Grants Pass Museum of Art, P.O. Box 966, Grants Pass, OR 97528. He was born April 30, 1928, in Richmond, Calif., to Willard and Mildred Smith. He grew up in Richmond and graduated from Richmond High School in 1946. In September 1946, he joined the Army and served as a commissary steward, staff sergeant in Koizumi, Japan, until June 1948, when he returned to Richmond. In 1951, he graduated from the University of California at Berkeley. He married Lillian Williams and they had two children before divorcing. For 32 years, he worked for Pacific Telephone as a manager and he worked in all departments. He retired as the district staff manager in San Francisco. In April 1982, in Martinez, Calif., he married Carol McCullough-Hill, who survives. They retired to Grants Pass in April 1984. He was a former member of the Kiwanis and Boundary Oaks Country Club in Walnut Creek, Calif. He was a member of the Grants Pass Golf Club and served as the senior golf tournament chairman for 25 years. He enjoyed stamp collecting and was a member of the Rogue Valley Stamp Club in Grants Pass and the Southern Oregon Philatelic Society in Medford. He served on the board of directors of the Rogue Dine and Discover Club and was a member of the Grants Pass Museum of Art. He enjoyed raising flowers, especially begonias, salmon fishing in Alaska and steelhead fishing on the Rogue River. In addition to his wife, survivors include a son, Ted Smith of Placerville, Calif.; a daughter, Gail Pierson of Sunol, Calif.; a stepson, Robert Keller of Chico, Calif.; two grandchildren, five stepgrandchildren and three stepgreat-grandchildren. Two stepdaughters, Karen Brewer and Gail Book, died before him.