OBITUARY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 21 March 1936, Page 7

OBITUARY

MR JOHN BLAIR The dentli is announced of Mr John Blair, who was the eldest son of the late- Mr and Mi's John Blair, well-known, residents of Abbotsford. Green Island, Dunedin. After receiving his primary, education under his father at. Walton Park School,. Mr Blair attended the Otago Boys’ High School. . On the completion”,of his apprenticeship to the .engineering ti-ade with Messrs A. and T.” Burt.- Mr Blair went to .Glasgow to gain further experience in his trade.,,' He joined the Shire Steamship Company and served in a number of the Sh’ire' boats, rising to the position of chief engineer of the Perthshire. It is worthy of noto that when the Perthshire wasadrift on the Tasman Sea for six weeks with a broken tail shaft, 'Mr Blair and his assistants succeeded in repairing the shaft, and the ship was steaming a lonat four knots near Lord Howe Island when the captain decided it would be advisable to be taken in tow' by the Talune. Mr Blair’s brilliant feat was verv highly commended by Australian engineers. He later brought out the'Kai- - kouva . on. her ma>den voyage Retiring from the sea Mr Blair took active seivice with. Messrs Borthwick Bros! as chief engineer and works manager attiie Paki Paki Freezing Works, Hawkes Bay. Later ho was.iti’ansferredc.to Waitara. Taranaki, where he occupied a : similar position . Two years, ago .he retired from active service tb live at New -Plymouth. Mr Blair was a man, of the highest integrity and his conscientious and faithful work and his kindly and -just nature won for him not only the confidence of his employers, lmt .-'so Dm respect and esteem of the men. He was a public-spirited man and. gave bis services freely to the church and to civic, affairs. He is survived by his wife, one' son. two brothers—Captain A. D. Blair (Sydney), and Mr George Blair (Nelson)- and two sisters Mrs . . Goy. (Auckland) and Mrs W. A. Sproat (Anderson’s Bay).