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Obituary

Niantic- Sheila Sullivan Blair, 76, of Niantic passed away peacefully on Monday, November 20, 2023 at Bayview Healthcare in Waterford after a long struggle with dementia.

She was born in Hartford, the daughter of the late Robert and Elinor Devanney Sullivan. She was the wife of Wayne Blair, who survives her.


Mrs. Blair was a retired educator with over 30 years of service in the Hartford Public School system. She finished her career as an administrator at the Hartford Transitional Learning Academy. Prior to that she spent many years as a special education teacher at Quirk Middle School and Hartford High School. She spent her career advocating for her students and strived to always be a person they could depend on.


She was a communicant of St. Agnes Church in Niantic where she had been instrumental in the church’s religious education programs. She was one of the first Confirmation teachers in a new Confirmation program established by Fr. Arthur Archer. She went on to teach Contemporary Moral Issues, a program that was added as a requirement for Confirmation candidates. She served for many years on the Confirmation Advisory Board.


Sheila loved to help people and volunteered with many organizations, including the East Lyme Seniors and the Colchester Making Memories Program.


In addition to her husband, she is survived by three sons, Robert Blair and his wife Katherine of East Lyme, Christopher Blair and his wife Cassandra of Port Orange, FL, and David Blair and his wife Jennifer of Edgewater, FL; a sister Susan Sullivan of Sarasota, FL; and three grandchildren. Her sister Maura Sullivan and brother Robert Sullivan Jr. predeceased her.

Calling hours will be from 5-7 PM on Monday, November 27th at the Thomas L. Neilan & Sons East Lyme Funeral Home, 48 Grand St., Niantic. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 AM in St. Agnes Church, Haigh Ave., Niantic followed by interment in Mt. St. Benedict Cemetery in Bloomfield. In lieu of flowers, a donation to a charity for special needs would be appreciated by Sheila’s family.


The family is grateful to the Bayview Healthcare staff and support staff in the dementia unit for their compassionate and loving care they provided. Lisa Whitney, Assistant Director, was especially supportive, and understanding of the family, during the 6 years Sheila was cared for. The Hartford Healthcare Hospice Team also provided the necessary comfort and support as her life ended.