Dr. Sidney J Blair, 94, a resident of Oak Park for 57 years, died peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, at Wellington Terrace in West Chester Pa. on November 24, 2018. Born on December 15, 1923 in Chicago to the late Kate and Harry Blair, he attended Sullivan High School and graduated from Washington University in St. Louis and received his M.D. from the Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University, in 1948. He served his internship at Cook County Hospital and his residency at Hines VA hospital and the Shriners Hospital in Chicago. He later did post-graduate study in hand surgery with Adrian Flatt, M.D. at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.
In 1986, Dr. Blair was appointed Chairman of Loyola’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation and the Dr. William M. Scholl Professorial Chair. Dr. Blair held those appointments until 1991. He then continued to serve as Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Chief of the Hand Section where he was recognized nationally as an expert in trauma, arthritis, peripheral nerve problems, congenital deformities of the hand and prevention of industrial hand injuries. He retired in 1994 and was appointed Emeritus Professor, predicated on a distinguished lifetime career of healing, teaching, mentoring and guiding.
Dr. Blair was a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and numerous other professional organizations. In 1995, the Sidney J. Blair, M.D. Lecture in Hand Surgery was established by generous contributions of numerous Loyola faculty, alumni, staff, and friends of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and continues to the present time.
In the company of his beloved wife LaMoyne, he traveled extensively throughout the world, where he lectured/consulted at medical facilities in countries such as Japan and Sweden. He also never stopped educating himself by taking courses, traveling and reading, with a special interest in environmental issues in the Mideast. At the age of 90, he published a book The Doctors Beck of Chicago a biography of three brothers who made significant contributions to modern medicine in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Dr. Blair was an enlisted member of the US Army during WWII and an Officer in the US Navy during the Korean Conflict, serving as the Chief Medical Officer aboard the USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Destroyer Escort. Dr. Blair was Honorably Discharged from the Naval Reserves in 1961.
He was a long-time member of West Suburban Temple Har Zion in River Forest; the Oak Park - River Forest Rotary Club; the Off the Street Gang of OPRF and many other local organizations.
His loving, devoted wife of 65 years, LaMoyne Blair, predeceased him as did his brother, Marshall (Shirley) Blair. He is survived by his sons Brian (Cathy) Blair and David (Marcia) Blair; his grandchildren, Shawn (Kristen) Blair, and Brandon, Eryn and Hannah Blair and his great-grandchildren, Liam and Addison Blair.
Visitation Thursday, December 13th from 3:00 p.m. until time of service 7:00 p.m. at Drechsler, Brown & Williams Funeral Home, 203 S. Marion St., Oak Park. Interment Friday, December 14 12 noon, at Floral Hill Cemetery, Hoopeston, Illinois. Memorials are suggested to Neot Kedumin Park in Israel (www.n-k.org.il) or Compassus Living Foundation (www.compassuslivingfoundation.org/give/).

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