Earl Woodburn Blair Jr.

On Wednesday, May 20th, Earl Blair left his Earthly life. He managed to hang on until he got one last FaceTime from his daughter Leigh and then he passed one minute after the phone call ended. He persisted and fought through 52 days in the ICU with Covid-19 related complications.

Earl had a tremendous will to live, and live well. His father, a WWII vet, died of a postwar illness when Earl was preschool age. This was a time when there were few if any social safety nets for women and children.

He was raised by his tough, but tender, working mother and paternal grandmother in public housing on the rough and tumble Northside of Houston. On Saturdays, he got on a bus, rode to town, and spent all day at the movie theater for a nickel, while his mother completed her shift work.

He was schooled by his role models Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, and Captain America. He soaked up these traditional values, and they informed his sense of patriotism and a man’s responsibility to the world. At the same time, he fell in passionate love with music and the movie business. While in High School, he formed a band called “The Rogues,” heavily influenced by the British sound of the 1960’s. “The Rogues” even opened for “The Moving Sidewalks,” later known as ZZ Top. After experiencing minor success with “The Rogues,” Earl pursued his second love: the movie industry.

He moved to California and learned the gritty side of show biz from the pros, managing acts and being the friendly face that talked to everyone, from the bigwigs and the little wigs. (He had so many stories!) But he wanted to raise his boys away from L.A., so he developed a career as Captain Bijou from the ground up. He pioneered the promotion of pop culture conventions that are so popular today, such as first Comic Convention in Houston, along the way. He shared his love of cinema collectibles as he raised three sons, fostering in them both a love of cinema and school sports, especially baseball. (It was not uncommon to see Earl “sporting” an Astros shirt in later years.)

He is also remembered for his work ethic, which he attributed to his family roots. He never really retired. His collectible company, Captain Bijou, was open until the end. And you could always engage him with, “Have you seen the trailer for (the latest movie)?” His sons appreciated the values of hard work and self-sufficiency their dad instilled in them. Earl continued to get up at 4 A.M. and preside over his many “Remember When” Facebook groups, acting as a kind of class historian for many people who grew up during the 1950’s and 60’s, a generation he was proud to have been a part of.

What we are desperately missing right now is his warmth and humor. He was so easy for us to love.

Friends call him “one helluva guy.”

After returning to Houston, “The World’s Most Perfect Husband” is what Eloise and Jennifer would call him, especially after benefitting from one of his perfectly mixed cocktails, or thanked him for meal prep or clean up. His stepson Mark considered his love for his mother, Eloise, the greatest gift.

The only thing that came close to his love of music and movies was his love of family. And besides the beach, nothing was better than an old-fashioned family Sunday dinner.

He always made time to sit down with anyone and talk together away from the crowd, if only for a few minutes. He would ask many questions and follow the conversation with a big hug. He gave his full attention and he made you feel seen. This was the Captain’s superpower: to bear witness to another’s life.

While Earl’s battle began well before entering the hospital, he spent fifty-two days fighting and battling in the hospital. Fifty-two Days. It took fifty-two days to build the Walls of Jericho. We are sure after being released from captivity, the Jews felt that fifty-two days was both a lifetime and a wondrous feat to accomplish in such a short period of time. Earl’s fight felt like a lifetime and the blink of an eye, as well. Fifty-two Days. The Holy Spirit returned to Earth 52 days after Jesus’ crucifixion as a fulfillment of prophesy. Earl’s battle lines up with Pentecost and we think Earl would appreciate this.

Six years ago, Earl posted the following when reflecting on the life of his mother, “Only when we have taken so many steps down our own’s life’s course can we look over our shoulder with far greater clarity than we did in … moments now many years ago and … yearn for just one more hug or to hear [his] voice one more time….” Now we feel that sense of yearning.

Right now, he is singing and playing guitar, and visiting with some of his favorite cowboys.

Soon we will have a memorial. Maybe we will listen to The Beach Boys while cruising in the Corvette down to the Galveston shore; that may be just what the Captain ordered. But for now, we are here with love and memories, and bearing witness...

We will forever remember: Captain American, Captain Bijou, Dad, Earl Blair, EB. Happy Trails. Forever.

In lieu of flowers the family ask donations be made to a Charity of your choice.