Amy "Hope" (Moyer) Blair

Amy "Hope" ( Moyer) Blair was born on January 18, 1922 to the late Florence Ray (Killen) and the late Winfred Day Moyer.  Hope passed away at the age of 96 on October 9, 2018 at Windber Woods in Paint Boro, PA, surrounded by several of her children. Hope was raised in Cresson during the Great Depression with four brothers and one sister, all of whom preceded her in death.  After graduation from high school in 1940, Hope went to Waynesburg College, where she met and fell in love with Willis T. (Bill) Blair (deceased). When WWII began, Hope left school to join the war effort and worked at a defense plant in Michigan as a “Rosie the Riveter”, and Bill served in General George Patton’s Third Army Air Corps as a liaison pilot.  When Bill was granted leave in June of 1943, he went to Michigan, where they were married on July 3^rd.  In 1944, Bill was sent to Europe, and Hope returned to Cresson to await the birth of their first son, Brent.  Bill returned from Europe on Christmas Eve 1945. Shortly after his return from the war, Bill was admitted to Thomas Jefferson University Medical School in Philadelphia, PA.  While in Philadelphia, Hope and Bill had two more children – Mark and Kim.  Bill finished his medical training in 1951, and they moved to Portage, PA where he set up a medical practice. In Portage, they had three more children – Terry, Liza, and Stacy. In 1955, Bill was admitted to Western Reserve University Hospital in Cleveland, OH for surgical training, and in Cleveland, Hope and Bill had their seventh child, Kyle.  After completing his surgical training, they moved to Windber, PA, where Bill joined the staff at Windber Hospital. Hope was active with the Ladies’ Auxiliary and volunteer work at the Presbyterian Church. 

In December of 1975, Hope’s life changed dramatically when Bill died suddenly at home.  Not long before, she had begun to study the Bible in depth and had made a profession of faith.  It was her faith that helped her through this difficult period and her faith that changed everything going forward. Hope returned to college in her early sixties and completed Bachelor’s (1989) and Master’s (1993) degrees in counseling at Liberty University.  After graduation, she worked in the field, both in private practice and at New Day in Johnstown.  She was active in the church at Emmanuel Baptist and led a Bible Study at her home for years.  

Hope is survived by all seven of her children and all but one of their spouses – Brent and Sandy, Mark and Susan, Kim and Tom Bell, Terry and Elaine, Liza and Jim (deceased) Brazen, Stacy and Jeff Saintz, and Kyle and Sue.  She has eleven grandchildren, seventeen great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. Hope loved to read and if you knew her, you probably have received a book from her.  She always wanted to write a book herself, and she spent evenings jotting down notes on her yellow tablets.  Though her book was never formally published, it was definitely written in the lives of all of the people she met and loved – in who they are and what they have become.  We will miss her.  We celebrate her life. A gathering of family and friends will be held on Saturday, October 20, 2018 from 9:00-11:00 a.m., followed by a Christian service starting at 11:00 a.m. at the Meek & Dalla Valle Funeral Home, 1312 Graham Avenue, Windber, PA 15963. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to New Day, Inc., 109 South Street, Johnstown, PA 15901 or a charity of your choice. www.meekfuneralhome.com

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