Kathryne Blair

Kathryne Blair, born in Columbia, South Carolina, in 1934, was a lifelong South Carolinian at heart. Though life would take her beyond the Palmetto State for a time, South Carolina remained the place she loved most and the place she ultimately called home.

Kathryne graduated from Dreher High School in Columbia, where she excelled in mathematics and developed a keen interest in science. Following graduation, she worked for USF&G Insurance Company in a secretarial role, a natural fit for someone known for her remarkable attention to detail and organizational skills.

In 1959, she married Alexander Blair and moved to Massachusetts, where she devoted herself to being a homemaker and mother. When she was widowed at just 44 years old, she faced the tremendous responsibility of raising a two-year-old child while also caring for two teenagers. She returned to South Carolina and poured herself into her family. Education was especially important to Kathryne, and although she never had the opportunity to attend college herself, she earnestly wanted each of her three children to receive a college education. She was immensely proud that all three accomplished that goal.

Her own education never truly stopped. An avid reader with an endlessly curious mind, Kathryne embraced computers, smartphones, and the wealth of information they placed at her fingertips. She could spend hours researching subjects that interested her and developed an especially deep passion for astrophysics. Her knowledge extended far beyond that field, however, and those who knew her often marveled at how well versed she was in seemingly any subject that entered a conversation.

At the age of 60, Kathryne began working at Midlands Technical College, where she continued until the age of 72. Her years there reflected both her love of learning and her belief that it was never too late to remain engaged, productive, and curious about the world.

She enjoyed art, sewing, reading, and collecting, but nothing was more important to Kathryne than her family and friends. She loved sharing stories and memories, often recalling details with an extraordinary memory. Naturally curious about others, she could spend hours in conversation, listening, learning, remembering, and sharing stories of her own.

Kathryne is survived by her children, Keith Alexander Blair (Elizabeth Blair), Donna Kathryne Blair (Donnie Bobb), and James David Blair (Paula Blair); four grandchildren, Alex Gerard Blair, Stephanie Anne Blair, Tanner Lee Bobb, and Jason Donnie Bobb; great-granddaughter, Katherine Cabrera; and siblings, Harriet H. Rogers, Allen B. Hutchison, and Dale H. Cornwell.

She was predeceased by her husband, Alexander Blair, and her parents, James Brace Hutchison and Flora Campbell Hutchison.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 11:00 am on Saturday, August 22, 2026, at Lebanon United Methodist Church in Eastover, South Carolina. The family will receive friends for visitation following the service.

Kathryne’s life was defined by curiosity, resilience, an appreciation for knowledge, and an unwavering devotion to those she loved. Her family will remember not only the stories she told, but the remarkable story she created through a life spent learning, persevering, and loving them well.