Obituary of Clarke Blair

Clarke Blair, 85, of Fonda, New York died March 16, 2006 at St. Mary?s Hospital in Amsterdam. Mr. Blair was born in the town of Galway and was a graduate of Galway High School. He served as a substitute rural mail carrier for the Amsterdam Post Office and was photographer in charge at the Scotia Naval Supply Depot during and after World War II. When the Depot closed, he opened his own commercial and wedding photographic studio in Fonda, retiring at the age of 70 years. During that time, he also did livestock surveys for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 1977, Mr. Blair did a survey of historic Erie Canal structures for the New York State Department of Historic Preservation. He also taught photography in the Johnstown adult education program for several years. As a commercial photographer, Blair illustrated several books on ironstone china and supplied photographic prints for Hugh Donlon?s book Annals of a Mill Town. Blair?s pictures also appeared in several books on Dutch Barns and in books by the late noted New York Atmospheric Scientist, Vincent Schaefer. He also did photo assignments for several Mohawk Valley newspapers. Blair was a charter member and past president of the Ft. Hunter Canal Society, consultant to the Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site, past president of the Mohawk Valley Historic Association, a trustee of the Fort Royal Foundation, an associate of the Mohawk Caughnawaga Museum, and a trustee of the Dutch Barn Preservation Society. His wife Rita Ouellette Blair died in 1990. He is survived by sisters in law Blanche Hart of Ballston Lake and Mary Harris of Rexford, as well as nieces, nephews and distant cousins. Funeral arrangements are private and have been entrusted to the Betz, Rossi & Bellinger Family Funeral Home, 171 Guy Park Ave, Amsterdam, NY, 12010.