Ernest H. Blair, Jr., of Manahawkin, NJ, passed away surrounded by his girls on November 6, 2021. He was born in Bayonne, NJ and was raised in Jersey City. He spent the majority of his adult life in Iselin before retiring to Manahawkin.
He is survived by the love of his life, his wife of 56 years, Camille, and his beloved daughters Diane Blair of New Orleans, LA and Jennifer Szelag of East Windsor, NJ. He loved his sons-in-law, Michael Trenchard and Sebastian Szelag as his own. Nobody brought him pure joy as did his granddaughters Sophia and Alexandra; Pop-Pop was his most cherished title, and his favorite thing to do was cheer them on at soccer and hockey games or anything they chose to do.
He is also survived by his step-grandson, Matthew Trenchard, of Los Angeles, CA, sister Dolores Thornley of Greer, SC, and many nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Gladys (Shivers) and Ernest Blair, his sisters Catherine Thune and Janet Bove, as well as many beloved pets.
Ernie retired down the shore after a career at Westinghouse Elevator, where he worked in engineering for 40 years. Westinghouse is what brought Ernie and Camille together, and they had many friends from their time working there. He then served as a security guard with Marion Co. before retiring for good in 2019. He was a proud Army veteran, serving in missile launching in Weisbaden, Germany, and was honorably discharged in 1964.
Ernie had a joke for every occasion and always brought a smile to every encounter. He made a point of learning everyone’s names and remembered them for quite some time. He was known at all of his granddaughters’ events as the funny guy. His humor and compassion will be sorely missed. He enjoyed his days on Barnegat Bay, watching the waves come in. He was his daughters’ biggest cheerleader in everything they did.
Visitation will be at 10 a.m., and a funeral service at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, November 9, 2021 at Thos. L. Shinn Funeral Home in Manahawkin, NJ. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.shinnfuneralhome.com for the BLAIR family.
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