Ronald Joe Blair's Obituary
Ronald “Ron” Joe Blair of Plano, Texas entered the kingdom of Heaven on January 21, 2019 after complications caused by a stroke.Ron was born in Lucas, Arkansas on December 29, 1938. He lived a happy childhood with his parents, Joe Berry and Mazel Pennington Blair and younger sister, Sue Blair Sitzler. After high school, he attended the University of Arkansas and received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in the field of Accounting. He was an active member of the Beta Alpha Psi professional accounting fraternity. He was extremely proud of his alma mater. Ron went on to become a Certified Public Accountant and embarked upon a successful career with the Internal Revenue Service. Not long after beginning work for the IRS, a co-worker arranged a blind date for him with her daughter, Celinda Shirley, in January 1961, they began dating in the summer. He quickly fell in love with his sweetheart and proposed just three weeks later. The two were married on December 30, 1961. Ron and Celinda welcomed their first daughter, Celinda Rhonda, in 1964 and the second, Amy, in 1969. Ron obtained his Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Oklahoma while raising his young family.Ron’s career as the Assistant Director of Appeals with the IRS moved the family around the country, finally settling in Plano, Texas. Upon retirement from the IRS, Ron became an Adjunct Professor, teaching various graduate-level tax and business ethics courses for University of Texas at Dallas, Southern Methodist University, and Dallas Baptist University. He authored numerous articles for Accounting and Finance journals and served as a federal expert witness.Ron absolutely loved accounting but more importantly, he loved the Lord, seeking to serve Him above all else. He was a faithful member of Prestonwood Baptist Church for more than 30 years and sang with the choir for over 20. Nothing prevented him from attending church each Sunday and his family is comforted in the knowledge that he is sitting at the feet of our Lord and Savior.Ron is preceded in death by his parents, Joe Berry and Mazel Pennington Blair. He is survived by his beloved wife, Celinda Shirley Blair of Plano, Texas, daughter Celinda Rhonda Blair of Frisco, Texas, daughter Amy Blair of Plano, Texas, sister and brother-in-law Sue Blair Sitzler and Dennis Sitzler of Cary, North Carolina, niece Janna Sitzler of Fort Mill, South Carolina, nephew T.J. Sitzler of Baltimore, Maryland. Ron also leaves behind cousins James Bullock of Las Cruces, New Mexico, and Nancy Merrywell-Franks and JoAnn Merrywell McDaniel of Fort Smith, Arkansas.Visitation will be held Friday, January 25, 2019 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Restland Funeral Home. The funeral will be held in the Wildwood Chapel of Restland on Saturday, January 26, 2019 at 12:30 p.m. Graveside services will begin at 1:30 p.m. with a reception to follow in the Events Center of Restland Funeral Home.
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