Dorothy Blair fought a valiant and amazing battle with lung cancer while maintaining an extraordinary life. She was a pioneer in her own right when she became the first black nurse anesthetist in Dallas, Texas, and she was one of the earliest black patients to participate in a clinical research trial at Mary Crowley Cancer Research. She was beloved by everyone, and through her faith in God, she made a profound difference in the lives of other cancer patients at Mary Crowley. She wanted the knowledge obtained from her type of cancer to improve cancer care for all future patients, and in 2009, her case study was presented to an international cancer research conference.
Dorothy’s community involvement was extensive. Among her many accomplishments, she founded Holmes Street Foundation, a residential substance abuse treatment facility for adolescent boys in South Dallas that later expanded to include out-patient services for all individuals.
She made a difference.
