Obituary of Rose May Simpson Blair

BLAIR, Rose May Simpson (née Barron) Rose Blair passed away peacefully at Nipissing Manor on Thursday, March 17, 2016, at the age of 81. She was the beloved wife of the late John Crawford Blair and mother of Butch (Lisa), Bruce (Vici), Glenn (Seta) and Kathleen (Rob). A proud grandmother to 7 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild, Rose loved her visits with John, Leslie, David, Eric, Crawford, Pamela, Brendan and Kingsley. Rose is sadly missed by her sister Mary (Don) and her sisters-in-law Darlene and Sheena, and fondly remembered by Sheila (Blaine) in Nova Scotia. She was predeceased by her brothers Bill, Bob, Alex and Jim, and her grandson John. Rose was born in Winnipeg in 1934, the only daughter born to William Simpson Barron and Mabel Dorothy Phillips. In the 1950s she met John Blair, an Irishman and aviator in the Royal Air Force. They were married at the Registry Office in John's hometown of Larne, Northern Ireland, before moving to Duxford, a military air station in England. In 1958, the couple and their first child moved to Winnipeg where John joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and Rose raised their growing family. The family was posted to several air bases in central and eastern Canada. The Blair family grew to four children over the next nine years and became enamoured with the game of hockey. While the family was living in Bagotville, Quebec, it was not unusual for the three Blair boys to each be playing on two or more teams a season. Skates were often left on to expedite the movement of these young players from one rink to another for the next game or practice. In 1971, the family moved to North Bay and became an active part of the West Ferris Minor Hockey Association. In her pathfinder way, Rose became a well-respected house league hockey coach. She coached boys' teams from Squirt to Midget levels, taking great pride in how her players developed both on the ice and as young citizens in North Bay. Rose completed what was then known as National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) Level IV coaching, and was one of just three women in Canada to achieve this level in those days. Her love of the game and her desire to imprint the fundamentals of hockey on young players (boys and girls alike) resulted in the development of a program she called Hockey For Beginners. Hockey for Beginners began at the West Ferris Arena, and for the princely sum of $35 dollars, a child could attend on-ice sessions every Saturday morning all season long. The program was free for families that could not afford the fee. Rose wrote out drills on cue cards, which were then taught by a group of teenaged hockey players (including her sons and daughter), who all followed her regimented lesson plans and jumped to the sound of her whistle. It was not unusual to count fifty young boys and girls on the ice. Hockey for Beginners grew in popularity and became a hockey staple in the city. Rose and John were well known in North Bay hockey circles and were also involved on boards and as convenors for activities such as the annual West Ferris Atom Tournament and the Golden Puck Tournament. In 1983, they were awarded the Judge Harry J. Reynolds Memorial Trophy recognizing their contribution to hockey in North Bay. Their picture can still be seen in the Sports Hall of Fame at Memorial Gardens. Rose was an avid Winnipeg Blue Bomber supporter and would work a Bomber game into her visits to Ottawa, Toronto and Winnipeg whenever possible. She would go to the game in Blue and Gold, sporting as many pins, buttons and banners as she could. Rose enjoyed many years of volunteering at school, continuing even after her children had graduated. She helped out in the kindergarten at Tweedsmuir Public School and the library at West Ferris Secondary School. Rose was a member of the Canadian Club of North Bay and took a turn as the Registrar to help out. For several years, Rose helped out with "Fun and Fitness" at Cassellholme, encouraging the participants to remain active. Outside of Rose's interests with young people and sports, she was also very interested in genealogy. Her research traced our line of Blairs back to the early 1600s and she produced line charts for over 200 other Blair lines as well. Her library of books, cue cards and line charts have been donated to the Blair Genealogy Society and the Nipissing Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. As per Rose's wishes, there will be no visitation or funeral service. Her ashes will be laid to rest with her father at Winnipeg's Brookside Cemetery. The family thanks the North East CCAC for their amazing support, Nipissing Manor for their devotion to Mom's well-being, and Murielle and Jane, whose care meant so much to us and to Rose. Rose helped many people and causes throughout her life. Consider marking her passing by donating to an organization near and dear to your heart.