Alan Dwight Blair's Obituary
Alan Dwight Blair, of Pell City, Alabama, passed away peacefully on March 25, 2024, at the age of 73. Born on April 12, 1950, in Birmingham, Alabama, Dwight was the first child of Margaret Drennen Blair and Alfred Dwight Blair, Jr., who preceded him in death. Soon after his birth, his family moved to Branchville, now Odenville, Alabama, where he was raised on what came to be known as Blair Farm.
Dwight graduated from Leeds High School where he excelled in basketball, baseball and football. During his senior year he was drafted to play baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers but opted, instead, to attend Vanderbilt University on a football scholarship, where he was also a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Dwight formed many lasting friendships in high school and at Vanderbilt, where he received his undergraduate degree in History and German before attending Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham where he received his Juris Doctor in 1975.
Following law school, Dwight practiced law in St. Clair County for 46 years with Hereford, Blair, Holladay & Parsons, which became Blair & Parsons, in Pell City until his retirement in 2022. He was a member of the St. Clair Bar Association, Alabama Defense Lawyers Association and the Alabama Trial Lawyers Association. He also served on the Alabama State Board of Bar Commissioners for the 30th Judicial Court and notably served as the first chairman of the Pell City Board of Education upon the inception of the Pell City School System. Dwight was a past president of the Pell City Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, member of the Pell City Industrial Development Board and the Pell City Lions Club.
Dwight especially enjoyed living on Lake Logan Martin, time at Blair Farm ('Over Yonder') and his birddogs. He was known for, among other things, his unique humor and not wearing socks in court.
He is survived by his wife of 26 years, Paula Blair; daughter Maggie Blair of Austin, Texas; son Austin (Kelsey) Blair of Birmingham; stepdaughters Leslie C. (Brooks) Bice of Odenville and Lacey B. (Ben) Weldon of Marietta, Georgia; six grandchildren: Abbigale, Fowler, Larkin, Naomi, Camper and Katharine; sisters Dana (Tony) Davis of Birmingham and Carol (Ralph) Tozzi of Palm Coast, Florida. In addition to his parents, Dwight was preceded in death by his beloved childhood caregiver, Dallas "Dash" Turner.
An open gathering in his remembrance will be held on Thursday, April 18, 2024 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at The Sonnet House, 1487 Montevallo Road SW, Leeds, AL 35094. All friends are invited.
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