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Blair was one of three children of Mary Patricia "Pat" Blair (born October 16, 1931) and [[United States Army]] major, Elliott Blair, Sr. (1929-2013), who was the [[mayor]] from 1976 to 1981 and then 1990 to 1991 of Killeen<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wilcfry.com/killeen/history/mayors/|title=Killeen Mayors|publisher=Wilcfry.com|accessdate=January 27, 2019}}</ref> in Bell County in Central Texas, the site of the Fort Hood military post. He has a brother, Elliott Blair, Jr., and a sister, Kellie Ann Bacon. In his youth Blair was an [[Eagle Scout]] and continued in adulthood to support that organization. He graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from [[Texas A&M University]] in College Station and came thereafter to Laredo to work in business. He and his wife of thirty-twoyears, the former Nancy Barbara Stewart (born November 15, 1955) owned Blair & Blair PC accounting firm. Their son, Roger Andrew Blair (born October 6, 1990), resides in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], Texas. On her husband's passing, Mrs. Blair said that she felt "a great loss, we did everythingtogether. We were partners in marriage and business and many of the organizations we served in the community. I lost my better half."<ref name=obit>c{{cite web|url=https://www.lmtonline.com/local/article/Randy-Blair-dies-at-age-58-13559360.php|title=Randy Blair dies at age 58|publisher=''The Laredo Morning Times''|author=Lisa Dreher|accessdate=January 27, 2019}}</ref>

Blair was one of three children of Mary Patricia "Pat" Blair (born October 16, 1931) and [[United States Army]] major, Elliott Blair, Sr. (1929-2013), who was the [[mayor]] from 1976 to 1981 and then 1990 to 1991 of Killeen<ref>{{cite web|url=https://wilcfry.com/killeen/history/mayors/|title=Killeen Mayors|publisher=Wilcfry.com|accessdate=January 27, 2019}}</ref> in Bell County in Central Texas, the site of the Fort Hood military post. He has a brother, Elliott Blair, Jr., and a sister, Kellie Ann Bacon. In his youth Blair was an [[Eagle Scout]] and continued in adulthood to support that organization. He graduated in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from [[Texas A&M University]] in College Station and came thereafter to Laredo to work in business. He and his wife of thirty-twoyears, the former Nancy Barbara Stewart (born November 15, 1955) owned Blair & Blair PC accounting firm. Their son, Roger Andrew Blair (born October 6, 1990), resides in [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], Texas. On her husband's passing, Mrs. Blair said that she felt "a great loss, we did everythingtogether. We were partners in marriage and business and many of the organizations we served in the community. I lost my better half."<ref name=obit>c{{cite web|url=https://www.lmtonline.com/local/article/Randy-Blair-dies-at-age-58-13559360.php|title=Randy Blair dies at age 58|publisher=''The Laredo Morning Times''|author=Lisa Dreher|accessdate=January 27, 2019}}</ref>

During his decade as GOP chairman, which ended on September 12, 2018, amid state and national elections, Blair worked to mobilize the party in Laredo and to connect with others across the aisle. But the  Laredo GOP had little success, having rarely even offered Republican candidates at the local level and losing all races, locally, state, and national.  In the last [[United States Senate]] election, the Republican incumbent, [[Ted Cruz]] polled 28.2 percent of the ballots cast in Webb County in his otherwise successful race against the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Beto O'Rourke]] of [[El Paso]]. [[Governor]] Gregg Abbott]] polled  33.7 percent of the vote in his statewide victory over the Democrat [[Lupe Valdez]], a former [[sheriff]] of Dallas County.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist331_race832.htm|title=Webb County U.S. Senate and gubernatorial election returns,2018|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|accessdate=January 27, 2019}}</ref>

During his decade as GOP chairman, which ended on September 12, 2018, amid state and national elections, Blair worked to mobilize the party in Laredo and to connect with others across the aisle. But the  Laredo GOP had little success, having rarely even offered Republican candidates at the local level and losing all races, locally, state, and national.  In the last [[United States Senate]] election, the Republican incumbent, [[Ted Cruz]] polled 28.2 percent of the ballots cast in Webb County in his otherwise successful race against the [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] [[Beto O'Rourke]] of [[El Paso]]. [[Governor]] [[Greg Abbott]] polled  33.7 percent of the vote in his statewide victory over the Democrat [[Lupe Valdez]], a former [[sheriff]] of Dallas County.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist331_race832.htm|title=Webb County U.S. Senate and gubernatorial election returns,2018|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|accessdate=January 27, 2019}}</ref>

Bair was succeeded as chairman by Bill Young, whom Blair had recruited to the party organization. Young recalled that Blair "listened to everybody, and he never really criticized anybody. He tried to uplift everybodyand I think we can all learn from that." When Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston, Blair and Young hauled sixty-six briskets to Port Aransas and barbecued for the community at a Stripes gas station. Young added that Blair was "just a very, very good person.It was inspiring to be around him, He was an outstanding human being and that’s the best way to put it.”<ref name=obit/>

Bair was succeeded as chairman by Bill Young, whom Blair had recruited to the party organization. Young recalled that Blair "listened to everybody, and he never really criticized anybody. He tried to uplift everybodyand I think we can all learn from that." When Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston, Blair and Young hauled sixty-six briskets to Port Aransas and barbecued for the community at a Stripes gas station. Young added that Blair was "just a very, very good person.It was inspiring to be around him, He was an outstanding human being and that’s the best way to put it.”<ref name=obit/>

Blair volunteered for more than thirty years for the Washington Birthday association. The association's former president,  Pati Guajardo, said that Blair's death "leaves a huge void. He will be dearly missed byall who knew him and who had the honor of working alongside him.” In 1995 and 2002, Blair received the WBCA President's Award. He was also an active supporter of Bethany , a shelter for the homeless in downtown Laredo.<ref name=obit/>

Blair volunteered for more than thirty years for the Washington Birthday association. The association's former president,  Pati Guajardo, said that Blair's death "leaves a huge void. He will be dearly missed byall who knew him and who had the honor of working alongside him.” In 1995 and 2002, Blair received the WBCA President's Award. He was also an active supporter of Bethany , a shelter for the homeless in downtown Laredo.<ref name=obit/>

Blair and Richard Castillon were inducted into the Roman Catholic Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of [[Jerusalem]], a papal order for whom Blair frequently provided transportation. Bishop JamesTamayo nominated Blair to the order, and he was inducted in 2011. Castillon said that Blair's Catholic faith was "really important to him, not for rules or regulations but he saw it as a means of service to others," regardless of political party or  organizational ties. Veronica Castillon, a WBCA lifetime director and past president, recalled Blair's frequent "faith-based actions. I am reminded of the words of [[Christ]] in the [[Gospel of Matthew]]: ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to oneof the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' Well done, Randy Blair. You have run the race and now you're home in the place where you belong.”<ref name=obit/>

Blair and Richard Castillon were inducted into the Roman Catholic Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of [[Jerusalem]], a papal order for whom Blair frequently provided transportation. Bishop JamesTamayo nominated Blair to the order, and he was inducted in 2011. Castillon said that Blair's Catholic faith was "really important to him, not for rules or regulations but he saw it as a means of service to others," regardless of political party or  organizational ties. Veronica Castillon, a WBCA lifetime director and past president, recalled Blair's frequent "faith-based actions. I am reminded of the words of [[Christ]] in the [[Gospel of Matthew]]: ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to oneof the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' Well done, Randy Blair. You have run the race and now you're home in the place where you belong.”<ref name=obit/>

==References==

==References==