Ed Blair

ATLANTA Ed T. Blair, 84, passed away at home on Sunday, March 21, 2013, following a long illness.He graduated from Central High School, Chattanooga, and Georgia State University then spent most of his professional life dedicated to broadcast journalism. He started out at WDEF in Chattanooga then became the anchor for Channel 5 and first news director of the Atlanta CBS-TV station in the fifties and sixties. He appeared on Evening News with Walter Cronkite. He interviewed Vivian Leigh and Olivia DeHavilland at a re-premier party of the stars of Gone with the Wind. He also interviewed Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which was carried by CBS News nationwide. His work as a news correspondent included a six nation tour of Europe for the Defense Department and U.S. Information Agency. During the formative years of CNN he was the executive/supervising producer, writer and editor of news programs. He also taught employees writing skills. He remained there 15 years.He served on active duty as First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve as Chief of Publicity, Third U.S. Army Recruiting District, Fort McPherson, Ga.He founded The Skylark Flying Country Club in Atlanta and took trips to exotic vacation resorts in the U.S., Mexico, South America and the Caribbean. He wrote two books, "Odyssey of Terror," a true story of the skyjacking of a Southern airliner from Birmingham, Ala., to Toronto and on to Cuba with 31 hostages on board. He also wrote, "In My Simply Amazing Time," an autobiography recounting 50 years in broadcasting that began during WWII, released in 2004.He was preceded in death by his parents, Taylor and Nancy Poe Blair; sister, Edna Greene; brothers, Taylor and Charles Blair; and sister Sarah Elizabeth Blair.He is survived by his wife, Caswan Blair; and stepson Tommy T. Blair; and several nieces and nephews, and many friends.Memorial services will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 7, 2013, at First Lutheran Church, 2800 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37404.The family request memorials be sent to Shallowford Presbyterian Church, 2375 Shallowford Road, Atlanta, GA 30345.