Roy E. Blair

Roy Edgar Blair, age 86 of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, died peacefully on May 31, 2026. Roy, the oldest of three children, was born in Brownsville, Kentucky, to Edgar Blair and Jewell Cook Blair. He met Ruth Marie Liskai at college in Bowling Green, Ohio; and they were married in 1966.

Surviving are his spouse and his sister-in-law, Suzanne of Phoenix, Arizona. He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Linda, and his brother, Gene.

Roy grew up in Louisville and graduated from Eastern High School in 1957. He attended Longfield First United Baptist Church, Louisville. He began college at Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky. After moving to Detroit he studied electronics and later enrolled at a broadcast announcing school. Roy began working as an announcer-disc jockey at WQTE-AM, Monroe, Michigan. He moved to Ohio and worked at WMGS Radio, in Bowling Green. In 1964 he enrolled at Bowling Green State University. While completing a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, he worked at H J Heinz Co., WARW Radio and WBGU-TV in Bowling Green, and at WFOB Radio, Fostoria. Roy studied English with an emphasis on dramatic literature and earned departmental honors.

He graduated in 1968 and began working at Storer Broadcasting Company's WSPD-Radio, Toledo, Ohio, as an announcer and Broadcast Standards Manager. During this time, he also was a newscaster for WTTO Radio, in Toledo. In Detroit he worked as a staff announcer at Storer's WJBK-TV2 television station.

In 1970 Roy joined Columbia School of Broadcasting's Detroit staff. He transferred to the school's Washington, DC communication center where he managed the center until 1989. Roy was often recognized for his outstanding Columbia achievements. After the 1989 school reorganization, Roy became the Washington school's president and director. He operated the school until he retired in 1998. During his years in Washington, Roy also operated Sound Labs, an audio engineering school and founded an advertising agency, Blair-Clark, Inc.

Roy and Ruth retired to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, in 1998. This gave Roy much more time to devote to Ham Radio, his favorite hobby dating back to age 14. Through the years, Roy held call signs K4DZL, K8PQW, W6NOG, W3GHP and K4HGX. His primary interest in Ham Radio was working distant ham radio stations. Roy was a Life Member of the American Radio Relay League and the Grand Strand Amateur Radio Club. His other interests included theater, history, traveling, computers, reading, music and movies.

Roy's ashes will be laid to rest in North Union Cemetery, Gibsonburg, Ohio.

Those wishing to make an expression of sympathy in Roy's memory are asked to consider Longfield First United Baptist Church, 5507 Cartledge Ct, Louisville, KY 40214; Grand Strand Amateur Radio Club, P.O. Box 2135, Myrtle Beach, SC 29578; St. Michael Catholic Church, Gibsonburg, OH 43431; or to a charity of the donor's choice.