Coy L. Blair

Coy Lynn Blair was born on May 16, 1944, the third child of Jake and Opal Blair in Florence, Arizona. He grew up in southern Arizona and central California along with brother Cody, and sisters Ramona, Dianna, Barbara and Peggy. It was during these years that Coy learned to appreciate the beauty of the desert.

Coy joined the US Navy after graduating from high school. After basic training in San Diego, Coy attended nuclear training in eastern Idaho. There he met Bessie Anne Crapo on a blind date. After a whirlwind courtship, they were married on January 5, 1966. They just celebrated their 53rd wedding anniversary this January.

While attending the University of New Mexico to earn his Electrical Engineering degree, Coy joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. One year later, Coy took his wife and two young daughters to be sealed as an eternal family in the Mesa Arizona temple. After college, their family grew to include twin boys and three more daughters, so their family includes: Cindy, Jennifer, Jeff, Bill, Rebecca, Catherine and Karena.

Whenever he could, Coy took his family camping and fishing, and picnicking on holidays or weekends. Some of his hobbies that he enjoyed with his family at different times include: baseball, shooting, rock collecting, ham radio, family history, military history and reading – history, westerns and science fiction. Many of his children picked up his love of reading and collect books by the armload.

None of his hobbies ever took away from time with his family. We always knew that we were Dad’s number one priority. He took his boys shooting, and the family camping. He encouraged his grandchildren to pick up ham radio. He loved military strategy games with his sons and anyone else who would join him.

Following graduation from UNM, Coy was commissioned an officer and served aboard nuclear-powered ships including the USS Long Beach, USS Enterprise, and the USS Ingersoll. During his time assigned to those ships, he sailed on two West-Pac cruises and came home bearing gifts from faraway places.

Coy loved his country and passed his patriotism on to his children, including the proper treatment of the American flag. We all remember being awakened in the morning to his call of “reveille” and seeing him with short hair and shiny shoes. Coy loved his time in the Navy and served for 20+ years, attaining the rank of Lt. Commander, before retiring to civilian life.

Dad loved to see the country and we took many road trips. Many of them were really transfers between Naval assignments, but Dad turned them into family vacations as we stopped to see grandparents and cousins “on the way.” As we wound our way across the country – before Google maps and GPS –AZ Coy always had an innate sense of direction to keep us on track, unless we were taking the “scenic route.”

After the Navy, Coy worked for Stone & Webster Engineering in Boston, MA for just a couple years; Georgia Power for 12 years; and Cooper Nuclear Station, here in Nebraska until his retirement.

During his nearly 50 years of volunteer service in The Church, Coy served in a variety of callings: Sunday School teacher, assistant scout master, Elder’s Quorum president, Bishop (and 11-year-old primary teacher at the same time), High Council, military liaison missionary to Fort Gordon and a temple ordinance worker in the Winter Quarter’s Temple.

Coy’s life was never flashy or famous. He often wondered if he made a difference to anyone. As we have reminisced together, it is obvious from our experiences and memories that our brother, husband, father, grandfather, friend – Coy Lynn Blair – led a life of quiet, humble goodness that made a difference to all who knew him.

A funeral service, officiated by Bishop Cliff Kunz, was Saturday, February 2, 2019 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Nebraska City. Casket bearers were Jeff Blair, Bill Blair, Michael Blair, Bill Whiting, Rick Johnson, and Patrick Baier. Aaron Poole, Jon Potter, and Paul Crapo were honorary bearers. Burial was in Sheridan West Cemetery near Auburn, with military honors provided by the U. S. Navy Honors Detail.