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2015 SESSION
15103235DWHEREAS, Michael Francis Blair of Bristol, a distinguished attorney who gave generously of his time and expertise to many community organizations, a man of faith, and a devoted husband and father, died on January 3, 2015; and
WHEREAS, Michael Blair, who was known to his friends and family as Mike, was a native of Baltimore; he graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park and received a law degree from the University of Virginia; he practiced law in Roanoke and then moved to Bristol in 1979; and
WHEREAS, for 35 years, Mike Blair worked for the firm of PennStuart in Bristol; workers’ compensation and Black Lung Disease (pneumoconiosis) cases were his specialty, and he regularly appeared before the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission, the United States Department of Labor, and the United States Courts of Appeals; and
WHEREAS, awards and honors that Mike Blair received during his career include being named as one of the Best Lawyers in America in the 2005 - 2010 editions of the peer-reviewed Best Lawyers publication; he also was recognized as a Virginia Super Lawyer; and
WHEREAS, the Southwest Virginia Workers’ Compensation Bar Association recently honored Mike Blair with its Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his decades of professional service to the bar association and to the people of Southwest Virginia; and
WHEREAS, many organizations benefited from Mike Blair’s expertise; he was a member of the board of the Bristol Regional Medical Center, and had been a member of the board of directors and former chair of Sullins Academy, and also served on the board and was president of the Mid-Atlantic Chamber Orchestra; and
WHEREAS, a man of faith, Mike Blair was very active at Emmanuel Episcopal Church; he served on the vestry and was senior warden, led youth programs, volunteered at the Community Christmas Dinner, and chaired the fund-raising Envision Campaign; and
WHEREAS, sharing meals with friends and family was one of Mike Blair’s great pleasures, and he hosted informal gourmet dinners and enthusiastically participated in wine clubs and the Southern Foodways Alliance; he also is remembered for his love of music and travel; and
WHEREAS, Mike Blair will be greatly missed and fondly remembered by his wife, Thelma; his children, Emily and Andrew, and their families; and by many other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Michael Francis Blair of Bristol, a distinguished attorney who gave generously of his time and expertise in service to many community organizations, a man of faith, and a devoted husband and father; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Michael Francis Blair as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.