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Robert A. Blair, 78, formerly of Washington, DC and Suffolk, VA, died on August 15, 2024 in Culver City, CA after a lengthy illness. He is survived by two sons, Rob Blair and Thomas Blair, their spouses Caitlin Sanford and Jennifer Blair, and four grandchildren. He is also survived by two sisters, Catherine Cartledge and Pearl Harrell, by one brother, David Blair and wife Patti Blair, and a host of nieces, nephews, and great nieces and nephews. He is preceded in death by his father and mother, Tom and Ossie Blair, by sisters Juanita Stine, Mary Blair, and Jenny Cox, and by brothers Thomas, Cornelius, William, George, James, and Joe.

Robert graduated from Suffolk High School in 1964, where he held a number of leadership positions and for which he maintained a life-long affection, as evidenced by his role in establishing two scholarships for the benefit of Suffolk residents. He graduated from the College of William & Mary in 1968, subsequently becoming a recipient of the College’s Alumni Medallion, a member of the Board of Visitors, and a member of the Board of Advisors for the Thomas Jefferson Program in Public Policy. After two years in the United States Army, he attended the University of Virginia School of Law, where he was a member of the Virginia Law Review editorial board.

After law school, Robert embarked on a successful and varied career in law and business. As a partner in several prestigious law firms, he represented clients as diverse as Bay Area Rapid Transit and the Navajo Nation, where a road has been named “The Blair Loop” in honor of the work he did. He also served as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for IPG Photonics, a leader in fiber laser technology.

Robert touched many lives professionally and personally and was deeply loved and respected.

Interment will be held at Holly Lawn Cemetery on Tuesday, August 27th at 3pm. A reception and celebration of life will follow at the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts at 4pm. Remembrances can be shared at RWBakerFH.com. The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Ossie S. and Thomas F. Blair Memorial Scholarship or the Howard D. Mast Memorial Scholarship.