Alex Blair

[Catherine Blair]

We moved to Ontario from Saskatchewan when I was 15. We took a moving truck and dad's lovingly restored 1964 harvest gold Valiant convertible (he SAID it was mom's - but it was his) through the states in an evil summer heat wave. We reached our next destination - Ingleside Ontario, just west of Cornwall, midsummer and unpacked. Dad had already started working for a contractor out of Cornwall, which he liked - he got the fun of meeting new people and fixing things without the headaches of business ownership. He stayed there for a few years, and finally got the itch to do it himself and started his own little contracting business out of Brockville.

He sold that to his partner and started working in Ottawa's west end just about the time my sister and I were in university. He moved around a bit, looking for new challenges, until he finally retired and starting stock trading.

Some of you may know the manuals story but I'll put it down again - this is how he found this forum and all of you.

My parents purchased a house for my sister and I to live in (and rented out the balance to students) while we were in university. Just as we were finished up they both decided that they wanted to move to Ottawa as it made more sense than running two households, let the renters know and returned the house to being a single family home. We lived next to a retired couple, and when the man passed away, his sons came to help, and they were cleaning out stuff that didn't make the cut for moving day. Dad looked out the window, decided to go and talk to the sons, and he found out that the dozens of boxes were from the man's work. He had worked for the government in procurement in WWII and had saved copies of all of the military vehicles R&O manuals he had ever used. Dad had the boys move the boxes across the lane from their back door into ours.

Dad, being a lifelong opportunist (and a bit of a packrat), asked if he could have them. The neighbour's kids said sure, and they moved all the boxes into a spare room of the house.

Dad worked his way through the manuals, realized what he had, made master copies of everything and contacted Dana Nield (I think) to see if he could put a copy of his manual list on his website. Dana agreed and the manuals repro business started.

Might have to edit for corrections later - but part three will be coming soon.

[chris vickery]

Wow, what a story. On the manual side of things just amagine all that history that could have been lost forever had it not been for Alex and his "pack rat" nature!
I know he certainly had some rare and wonderful copies in the collection.

[Nigel Watson]

Catherine, I have just picked up the really sad news about your dad, I'm so sorry not to have mentioned it before. I met Alex the once when I came over from Scotland to research carriers for a book I was thinking of writing. He was so helpful and knowledgeable it was so good to chat about all things that were in his manuals that I could use. I spent time with him and Geoff talking about military stuff, it was a great time which I will always remember with a smile.
It was a year or two ago he contacted me to see if I would be interested in coming over to give a talk on carriers to military vehicle folk, many of which were likely to be on this forum!

A great person who will be remembered by me and I'm sure many others, he will be sorely missed, and I hope you and your family get through the next wee while okay.
With happy memories of my first visit to Canada where I met Alex.
Nigel

[Hans Mulder]

RIP Alex. Thank you Catherine for keeping us in the loop and for the history. I don't know how I missed this thread until now.

[Catherine Blair]

Thanks Hans and Nigel. It's much appreciated.

Rob Clarke suggested you might be interested in some of the pictures we used for Dad's memorial reception.

Dad always liked to play guitar but his songs changed a bit, then to now (less rock and roll, more wheels on the bus. )

[Catherine Blair]

Some of the ones I want to post are too large - I'll pick through and post what I can.

This one was one of his favourite pastimes - skyping his grandsons.

[Bruce Parker (RIP)]

Originally Posted by Catherine Blair

Thanks Hans and Nigel. It's much appreciated.

Rob Clarke suggested you might be interested in some of the pictures we used for Dad's memorial reception.

Dad always liked to play guitar but his songs changed a bit, then to now (less rock and roll, more wheels on the bus. )

What an amazing set of pics. It only confirms what a rich life you can have...and Alex obviously had.

[Catherine Blair]

Just finished high school - then off to the air force.

family man.