Edwin Donald Blair

Edwin Donald Blair, the son of Edwin Claud Blair and Valera Bates Blair, died of natural causes on ¬¬¬December 30, 2014. Don was born in Salt Lake City Utah, on February 2, 1924. As a young child Don lived with his parents on Seventh Avenue in Salt Lake. When Don was 7 the family moved to Sugar House near 27th South and 13th East (Chadwick Street). He attended the Ensign School on the avenues for kindergarten and first grade and then Highland Park Elementary on 27th South for the remainder of his elementary years. Don and Max (his brother only 11 months younger) were great friends and developed life long friends in elementary school. He attended Irving Junior High School in Sugar House and then went to South High School where he graduated. He attended the University of Utah for a couple of quarters, but did not have enough money for more schooling and went to work full time. Don was always very independent and wanted to earn his own way.

Don has always had an outgoing and happy disposition. He has been known as someone who finds good things to say about others and likes to lift people up. He loved to sing, and like his father, could remember the lyrics of almost any of the old classics songs. He whistled while he worked and seemed to have almost endless energy. Don loved to read and was familiar with many of the classics and seemed to always be in the middle of a new book. Don was very literate and had an amazing vocabulary. He started working as an assistant custodian at his elementary school when he was just 9 years of age and worked most of his life.

When the Second World War began both Don and Max were drafted into the military. Don, however, had a stomach ulcer and was not eligible to serve. He began to work for the Glade Candy Company (the same place his dad was employed) as a candy maker. He learned his craft well and became a master candy maker. He later left Glade Candy and helped start a new candy company called Maxfield’s, now the largest candy company in Utah, where he spent the rest of his professional career, finally retiring at the age of 82. He tried to retire several times from Maxfield’s but was called back to help train employees and fix the various machines until he finally decided it was time to actually retire. He loved to tinker and could fix almost anything.

Don was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints during his youth, but was less active after finishing high school. Don later became active and was sealed in the temple to both of his wives, and enjoyed his association with the Church during the latter part of his life.

Don fell in love with Thelma Blackburn and they were married in 1946. Thelma was a beautiful woman that Don first met at Auerbach’s Department Store in Salt Lake City, who was working there as a salesperson. Thelma loved Don very much and supported him every way she knew how. They had two terrific children, Linda (Miller), and Steven – both raised in the Sugar House area. Thelma passed away in 1971, and Don remarried Darlene Cordell Howells in 1974, who also preceded him in death.