Alex Blair
 

I absolutely hate that this has to be my first post on this forum. I'm Alex's daughter. Dad's been fighting so hard for a week. He had copd and picked up a vicious infection about a week and a half ago. He's been in ICU and has taken a turn for the worse. We will be saying goodbye today.. He loved being on this board and corresponding with and meeting you. Please send peaceful thoughts today to him. Thank you all for providing him so much enjoyment.

Catherine, the Pearce family will have you and your family in their prayers.
Alex contributed a lot to this forum and it was a pleasure to know him via the internet.

Catherine,
I am so sorry to hear your sad news. Your father always put up some interesting discussions on the forum and he will be sorely missed by forum members around the World. As Robert has just said, our thoughts are with you and your family tonight.

kind regards,
Richard

Catherine,

Very sorry to hear this. My thoughts will be with your family. I met Alex years ago at a BBQ and he was quite the guy to talk with. He was happy to see such a young person getting involved in the hobby.

Jordan

Catherine,

I'm very sorry to hear about this very sad news. Your father has been on this forum and its predecessor since its inception. Alex has been a source of knowledge and good fun. If there's appropriate time left, please thank Alex for his contribution and support to MLU - on behalf of all the members.

We wish you and your family lots of strength during these difficult times.

Best regards,
Hanno
MLU Administrator

When I had a short stay in Ottawa, it was Alex who drove across town to pick me up and take me to Gracies for a meet, and drove me back again afterwards.

I will be thinking of Alex and thoughts and prayers are for him and your family.

Alex
 

I always appreciated Alex here, my thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.

Terrible news
 

I'm so sorry to hear this Catherine, Alex was a very valued original member on MLU, and as Hanno said it's predecessor as well.

He contributed knowledge and humour to us all.

Our prayers and thoughts are with you at this very difficult time.

Thank you for bravely posting here to let us know.

Our Deepest appreciation of Alex's part of MLU
 

Cathrine and the Blair Family

What can be said but a friend will be missed, and remembered. MLU as you may know is a group of friends many who have never met but who have as in your father's case been known each other for many years.

With warmest regards Phil

Sad News
 

Alex will surely be missed by the MLU community in general and by the local Ottawa folks in particular who had the honour of including him as one of our own.

Alex's impact on our hobby was profound and and positive. On behalf of the Hammond Barn gang and the Rusty Old Truckers (Rotters) of Ottawa, I offer our condolences.

We will hoist a drink in his honour at the next group meeting.

Sad News
 

Catherine,
Thank you for thinking of "us" (the MLU family) at this difficult time.
You must know that, via this forum, Alex has had an influence in the lives of hundreds of people that he has never met. I regret that now it seems that Alex and I will never meet.
As said above, we will all miss his knowledge and humour on this forum.
You, your Dad, and the family will be in the thoughts and prayers of many, many people from all over the world. Please keep in touch.
The Holgates.

Catherine, please accept condolences from the Baker family.
There is nothing I can say that will relieve the horrible time you are about to go through, but know that in some way we share your pain. The world cant afford to lose any more good people. Alex is one of those folks that should have earnt a ticket to remain here permanantly!


As the final lines are written in Alex's book of life, know that his MLU family grieves with you.

:remember :salute: :remember

Catherine;

Sad news indeed, our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family Catherine. Your father will be missed.

Rest peacefully my friend.

At the going down of the sun
and in the morning
We will remember them.

Damn! I am really sorry to hear this. I was just talking to a friend on Wednesday and wondering why I hadn't heard from your dad for a while.
My prayers are with Alex and your family. Please let us know any plans. I am in Ottawa. If I can help in any way please let me know - 613-820-7350
Clive

Thank you all for your kind words. Dad went very peacefully around 7 tonight. I'll post arrangements once we have some details set.

On the one hand, we'll be missing Alex; on the other hand, he and Geoff can catch up!

Rest easy, Alex.

Catherine, I am very sad for you and your loss. I have only known your Dad via the written word on this forum. I have enjoyed his many posts. Thank you for stepping up and keeping us informed. Chris and I wish you and your family the very best as you deal with the difficult times ahead :salute:

Catherine, so sorry for your loss and sincere condolences from the Jones's in Adelaide.
Life is just so short. R.I.P. Alex

Oh no...was my first reaction when I saw his name in the "tributes" sub-forum. Although we weren't allowed to call him Mr. Manual anymore, that's how I first got to know him on the forum...Mr. Manual. Rest in Peace Alex.

Alex

Catherine,

My most sincere condolences to you and your family.

R

Thank you all for your kind words. We truly appreciate them. I hope people will agree to this - we would like to post your comments around the hall after the service. I will be able to confirm details tomorrow morning. If you have something specific you'd like to say please let me know. We'll gather everything by mid day Tuesday.

Catherine,
I have no issue with this.
Clive

Catherine, what ever feels right for you at this sad time is fine.:remember

Alex: the most cheerful, helpful and upbeat person there is. I'm truly sorry to hear this news.

Comments
 

Please feel free to post my comments.

Catherine, I have no issue with my comment being posted

Please share our comments
 

Hello Catherine

Yes, by all means feel free to share our comments, they are just an indication of our feeling for your dad. Your dad share with us several thousand comments on our share interest in CMPs, Canada, and history. So he will be missed in our daily conversations on MLU.

You have probably already noticed that MLU is different from most other web forums people use their real names here not handles. This makes our contact and conversations that go on around the world and over time far more real. We really get to know each other and weather we ever meet face to face we have people all over the world that we call friends and mean it.

Our best to you and your family.

Phil

Catherine, quite happy for you to do as you wish.
Catherine, later on, when you are up to it, could you come back and tell us a little about your Dad's private life? We here on the forum are spread around the world, many of us only knowing Alex (and each other) where our interests meet, but not so much about Alex Blair, the family man and Dad.
As his regular contributions have reached around the world, I think I speak for many of us, at the far reaches of the planet, in saying "He will be missed"
We thank you Catherine, for time with your Dad.

Sad, shocked but not totally surprised.
 

The MLU email was relayed while at a cottage on White Lake.

Alex had not been feeling well for quite some time. COPD can be very limiting for a man typically very active. Last time I saw him he was tethered to a 25 foot line attached to a portable oxygen concentrator to assist his breathing.
It pained me to watch him trying to get around particularly with the additinal complication of some hip problem. Nonetheless he carried on and joked with us.

Almost 20 year ago, when I first signed on the Bulletin Board of MLU, registration was very simple in those days, and so was the format fo MLU.

My first posting requested " permission to come aboard Sir!!!"

Alex was the first one to greet me and extend a Welcome from MLU..... he also wanted to know if I was ex-Navy...... I sheephishly replied that I was not EX anything but wanted to join in the interesting conversation.

Since then Alex attended our Hammond Barn BBQ and he organized numerous evening gatherings in various Ottawa pubs. I dropped by his place often..... now in retrospect .... not often enough.

Rest in Peace Alex your pain is over. We will miss you dearly.

To Mrs. Blair and the whole family, in particular Catherine, who took the time to keep us informed as Alex would have wished, I extend my deepest condolences and my prayers.

Over the last few years, with much sadness, the MLU membership has gradually lost a number of literally founding members of this great community ...the likes of Alex...... I cannot help but wonder who will be next.


Bob C.

Rest in peace now Alex. Thoughts and best wishes to you Catherine and the rest of the family. He will be sorely missed.
Ryan