Eugene Roy Blair, Sr., 86, known to many as Buddy, passed away at his home on August 25, 2024.

Buddy was born on May 10, 1938, in Campbellsville, KY to Roy Vitus Blair and Rosie Lee Flinchum Blair [Miller]. He grew up on a tobacco farm with his many brothers and sisters. In his youth he helped his father build houses. When he came of age, he joined the Army with the 101st Airborne division where he served in Vietnam and the Korean war, until he was wounded.

After being medically discharged from the army Buddy became a diesel mechanic and owned his own business in Brunswick called B&M service. He spent his life working on cars and trucks and loved every minute of it. He loved working on anything with an engine and always had a grease towel and a bucket of soapy water ready. He always enjoyed buying junk cars and selling them when the price of scrap went up. He worked in his scrap metal yard until the day he passed away. Buddy loved antique cars, he owned several cars over the years, but his favorites were always his corvettes.

Buddy was a family man, and he loved the simple life. He was always the happiest when the kids and grandkids came around, and he would play like he was one of them. He shared a special bond with several of his grandchildren, Dakota Blair, Shelby Herring, Skylar Hopkins, Gunnar Sparre, Kimber Bosley, and Destinee Blair. He lived for his family and always found a way to spend time with them whenever possible.

Buddy was preceded in death by his father, Roy Vitus Blair; his mother, Rosie Miller, and stepfather, Mark Miller; brother, Melvin Blair; and three sons, Roy Lewis Blair, Eugene Roy Blair II, and Stephen Blair.

He was survived by his children Bill (Jackie) Hastings, Marty (Jan) Blair, Mark Blair, Sheena Lavarnway, David Blair, Christopher Blair, and Katy Blair, his many grandchildren and great-grandchildren; his siblings Erma (Paul) Dixon, Wanda (Paul) Smith, Linda Sue Dice, Roy V. Blair, Martie (Jerry) Blackburn, Joe (Christine) Miller, Maxine Miller, and Winford Lee Miller; and two ex-wives, Wilma Parker and Kathy Blair.

We would like to give a special thank you to the groups of healthcare providers who took the best care of Buddy and treated us all like family; Tyler Cole with Expand Family Health, Dr. Antonio Moran with Georgia Oncology and Hematology Consultants, Dr. Stephen Chitty IV with Southeast Georgia Health System Pulmonary Medicine, Dr. Emmanuel Gage with Centurion Spine and Pain Centers, and Dr. George Powell with Ascension St. Vincent.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, August 30, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at Sterling Church of God in Brunswick, GA with a visitation one hour prior.