Businessman and former Columbia County Judge and Sheriff John Calvin Blair, 74, of McNeil, passed away Wednesday, March 9, 2016, at Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock.
During his career in law enforcement, Blair served as a police officer for the City of Magnolia, and as a deputy, criminal investigator, and sheriff for Columbia County. He retired as Columbia County Judge after six years of service at the end of 2006. As far as it is known, Blair is the only person to serve the county as both sheriff and judge.
Blair was well known in the business community in Columbia County, having been involved in various industries including farming, timber, construction, and truck driving.
During his tenure as judge, he organized and implemented a plan to feed and care for the Hurricane Katrina victims who came to Magnolia for shelter. He worked tirelessly for many weeks to make sure that all of the people had shelter, food, and clothing during their stay. Columbia County people are generous, kind, and helpful, and John was able to organize their generosity, kindness, and helpfulness into a system that was unexcelled by any other area of the country.
See the full obituary on page 2 of today's edition.