MY DAY: WILLIAM “BILL” BLAIR: A PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE

In Richard Warren’s bestseller “The Purpose Driven Life” he outlines a forty day step process of how to find your purpose in life. Long before this book was written, Dr. William “Bill” Blair, who changed addresses this week at the age of 92, demonstrated his life to the fullest, a clear defining purpose, not driving, but speeding in fourth gear with a cache of people.

One of the most popular Situation Spots in Dallas is the renown “Roundtable”. Well attended by all with a 25 year legacy started by Dr. Blair. My favorite story by far occurred at the famous “Roundtable” years ago between Dr. Marvin Robinson and Dr. Bill Blair. Marvin was telling this story about a track meet in which Marvin was one of the stars. Dr. Blair let the story be told and immediate afterward announced to Marvin that one of the names was incorrect. Marvin disagreed politely. He went home and looked it up. Being the gentleman he was, he returned to the “Roundtable” the next day to declare in public “that the master was correct”, and with a laugh, “but, I was there”.

Mrs. Carolyn Lucas, the lady in the pink Cadillac for over a decade, possibly said it best. “He wanted everybody recognized”, which would account for his many community “driven” successful programs. Master Donte Wilson, a student who did a paper on the Negro Baseball League, inspired by Bill’s guest speaker appearance at his school said; “he didn’t talk old”. Clarice Archer, a rising star in Nursing School at UT, Tyler, native of another country, called to see if she and friends could host or ‘usher’ at the homegoing celebration. Simone Sadler, my niece in Orlando, now 16 years old, who spent summers with me in Dallas, bountiful lunches with Bill Blair at Luby’s, at the “Roundtable” on her second call was disappointed that her Dad would not allow her to leave school, travel for the funeral. She decided that she would hold her own memorial service in Orlando, Florida. She has received weekly copies of the Elite Newspaper for years.

Dr. Theodore Lee, Publisher of The Dallas Post Tribune said he always respected Bill Blair. Adding “He was aggressive and always on the move enhancing his community and the City of Dallas”. As a mentor, Sharon Middlebrooks said “she never met a man that knew so much about this city”. And Mrs. Maggie McClendon, ‘a golden girl’ at True Lee Baptist Church, said “he was a jolly good fellow and a good friend to my husband before he passed away”.

How very fortunate we were to have such a time as this, a purposed life driven among us.

Ester Davis @esterday.com