Marilyn S. Blair passed away peacefully on January 20, 2023 at Jackson Ridge Rehabilitation and Care in Canal Fulton, Ohio. She was 90 years of age.

Marilyn's remarkable story began in a suburb of Cleveland on June 22, 1932, the day that she was born. Raised with her older sister Patricia by Jacob E. Schaefer and Ruth DeWitt Schaefer, Marilyn went on to graduate from Kent State University with a dual degree in psychology and aviation. She had always dreamed of becoming a commercial airline pilot but in the early fifties the aviation industry was not particularly open to women, especially in the cockpit. She took her first solo flight in 1950 at the age of 18 and then obtained her pilot's license a year later. She often mused that she learned to fly before driving a car. Since the job market for women pilots at the time was non-existent, Marilyn went back to school, earned a master's degree in educational psychology and taught school

Marilyn put her aviation dreams and teaching career on hold shortly after leaving college to start a family. She married William E. Blair Jr., whom she met at Kent State, and moved to East Liverpool, Ohio in the late fifties where the couple raised five children. During these years Marilyn was very involved in her children's lives through her active involvement in the Parent-Teacher Association which led to her becoming co-chairman of the Columbiana County Children's Advisory Committee. She was also a past president of the Child Study Club, Tri-State Federation of Women's Club and Quota Club but her very active community involvement did not stop there. Marilyn also served on the board of the East Liverpool Hospital Auxiliary and the local Red Cross Chapter. In her volunteer work with the Tri-State Federation she managed the Youth and Recreation Fund and started the area's first recycling center that contributed significantly to the Youth Fund. Her community fund raising efforts led to many charitable events at the family home on Dairy Lane. When Jesse Owens (four time medalist in the 1936 Olympics) came to East Liverpool for a speaking event Marilyn hosted the Olympian at her home while he stayed in town. Marilyn loved giving back to the community (known as "Potter's Town) where she called home for nearly 30 years.

Marilyn circled back to her dream of being an aviator in the mid-70's while still living in East Liverpool. She began teaching aviation at a community college in Beaver, Pennsylvania. It wasn't long before she became the chief instructor and was running the entire flight school. Recognizing her talents, her students urged Marilyn to pursue her dream of becoming a commercial airline pilot. This dream became a reality when she accepted a job with Virginia Air. At the time, all of her children were grown, so she packed up and headed to Richmond, Virginia where she would be domiciled for the airline. She started a a co-pilot (three stripes, which meant right seat in the cockpit) but given Marilyn's personal drive and flying skills it wasn't long before she earned four stripes and was flying left seat as Captain Blair. At the time, many referred to her as a pioneer for women in aviation.

Marilyn's career in aviation continued to take flight when she was promoted to director of flight operations for American Eagle (a subsidiary of American Airlines) at the Miami International Airport. Marilyn packed her flight bag and headed South where she settled in Naples, Florida. While most people commuted to work by car, Marilyn took to the skies each day and would fly to work from Naples to Miami. She always joked that she never had to worry about traffic going to work. As upper management for the Eagle, Marilyn was responsible for overseeing hundreds of pilots. This kept her behind a desk on most days instead of a cockpit, but that didn't keep her from scheduling herself to fly at times. On one occasion when Her Royal Highness, the Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson ("Princess Fergie") was visiting the United States, Marilyn scheduled herself as Captain of the plane. Marilyn knew that she and the Princess had something in common. Princess Fergie was also a pilot, having obtained a private pilot license herself. You can imagine the Princess' joy when she met Marilyn and learned she would be flying her plane while traveling the US.

Marilyn was grounded as a commercial airline pilot when she was forced into retirement by the FAA, having obtained the mandatory retirement age for commercial pilots. Of course, this didn't stop Marilyn from challenging what she believed to be a discriminatory government policy. So it wasn't long before Marilyn was testifying before the United States Congress and the FAA in Washington, DC, on behalf of commercial pilot's everywhere, advocating that the mandatory retirement age be increased. She argued that the government was forcing the airline's most seasoned and experienced pilots out of the cockpit too soon. Her efforts before congress didn't change her situation at the time but it did pave the way for the FAA to eventually change their age policy requirements, which is 65 today.

In the mid-90's Marilyn hung up her wings and took to the high seas. Pursuing her love for the card game of bridge, she co-founded "Bridge at Sea". The program, which was sanctioned by the American Contract Bridge League (ACBL), offered bridge instruction and tournament games on cruise ships that took Marilyn to the four corners of the planet for some of the largest cruise lines in the world. She provided lectures and offered bridge classes to beginners and advanced players and directed tournament games on dozens of cruises. While running the cruise program, she also became the bridge director at numerous bridge clubs, leagues and organizations in Naples, Florida. Marilyn earned the level of Master Bridge Player and traveled the country to play in ACBL sanctioned tournaments. Clearly, Marilyn's definition of retirement was different than most people, although in her spare time she did enjoy golfing, snow skiing and scuba diving.

Marilyn often described her life and events in her life using the opening line from the Charles Dickens classic "A Tale of Two Cities " It was the Best of Times, it was the Worst of Times." The worst of times being the loss of two sons, Kevin R. Blair and William E. Blair III, who preceded her in death and the difficulty for women in professions dominated by men. And the best of times highlighted by this brief biography of Marilyn's extraordinary life. Marilyn's favorite quote was "one must study to know, know to understand, and understand to judge." Words she lived by and wisdom she passed along to all whom she touched.

In addition to her two sons, Marilyn is preceded in death by her parents and sister, Patricia Schaefer Clark and is survived by her loving sons Edward S. Blair of Midland, Texas, Brian K. Blair of North Canton, Ohio, and loving daughter Jackie B. Maraney of Morgantown, West Virginia, as well as numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She will be laid to rest in a private service at Crown Hill Cemetery in Twinsburg, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, contributions are suggested to the Alzheimer's Fund.