Obituary of Blair Valentino Ogden

It is with deep sadness that we, the family of Blair Valentino Ogden, share the news of his passing on May 28, 2023.  He was 61 years old.

Blair was born on February 26, 1962 in Nelson, BC.  He was the only child of Henry and Lena (Cesarin) Ogden.

The family moved to Fernie, BC when Blair was young so they could be closer to Lena’s parents, Luigi and Elsie. When Henry passed away in 1968, Lena worked full-time as a nurse to support herself and her young son.  Blair spent a lot of time with his grandparents and was especially close to his grandfather, Luigi.  As Blair grew up he would continue to see his father’s parents Jack and Nellie in Cranbrook, and his Aunt Lois and her family at their Baynes Lake property. When his Uncle Johnny moved from Regina to Kimberley it allowed Blair the opportunity to further strengthen the relationship with Johnny, Maymae, and their children.

Blair was a very social person, and this was evident from a young age.  He attended Ridgemont Elementary School and then Fernie Secondary School, graduating in 1980.  He had a large friend group in Fernie and stayed in touch with many of them over the years.  Blair loved attending high school reunions and keeping track of his childhood friends.  He genuinely cared to know how his friends were doing and he was the first person to offer help if he saw a need.  This affection extended to family members of friends, and even to friends of friends.  Blair only needed to talk to a complete stranger for about 10 minutes before he would discover some kind of connection…  “so your great-grandmother lived next door to my kindergarten teacher!” …  and then that stranger would be a stranger no longer.  That person would become a part of Blair’s world.    

It was at Fernie Secondary school that 18-year-old Blair met, and fell in love with, 16-year-old Sandra Johnson.  The two married in 1983 and Blair went from being an only child to someone with three siblings, a dozen aunts and uncles, two dozen cousins, and a nephew.  Blair loved it all and fully immersed himself in Sandra’s big family.

Blair was a car aficionado, and his 1978 mother-of-pearl Pontiac Trans Am with metallic blue detailing was legendary in Fernie.  As a teenager, he worked at the local Texaco and completed his automotive mechanic apprenticeship under the guidance of Lanny Krog, a big influence in Blair’s life.

Blair and Sandra had their son, Bryan, in 1987, and their daughter, Sharyn, in 1990.  In 1991, the family moved to Cranbrook because Blair landed a position with Alberta Natural Gas which would become TransCanada Pipelines in the future.  Blair was an extremely conscientious employee and took on more and more responsibility with the company.  TransCanada sent him to manufacturing facilities in the US and Italy to ensure that equipment being custom-built for the pipeline met specifications.

In the later years of his life, Blair struggled with his mental health. It was profoundly sad to watch Blair fight this battle and it was hard on those who loved him and wanted to help him as they found themselves powerless to do so at times.

Even though his illness had drastically changed him, Blair continued to seek connections with people and loved those around him. Lawrence and Trevor were particular friends that stood solidly by him and can be credited for trying to help Blair through his challenges. Blairs interactions with others allowed him temporary moments of relief from the obstacles he faced. One of his favourite things to do, was invite everyone over for a fire in the backyard.  Being with his family brought him joy and when his 11-year-old granddaughter Maiya was born, she brought a special, uncomplicated love to his life. 

Blair leaves many people to mourn his loss, Sandra, his wife of 40 years, his son Bryan (Nicole) and their son Nathan, his daughter Sharyn (Harrison) and their daughter Maiya. He will be missed by his grandmother-in-law Mary Koran, mother-in-law Betty Johnson, his brothers-in-law Jim (Loretta) Johnson and Bill (Shannon) Johnson, and his sister-in-law Alison (Mark) Morrison, as well his nieces and nephews. Jesse (Stephanie), Kristy, Shyla (Jesse), Ryley (Lindsay), Alexander, Owen, Keaton, Noel, Calvin, Annelise, Madison, Leah, and Robert, and many aunts, uncles and cousins. His brothers Toney (Bev) and Donnie. His aunts Lois Sweet and Maymae Ogden. Cousins Wanda, Dennis, Bud, Devri and Davin and their families.

Blair was pre-deceased by his parents, his grandparents, his uncles, and father-in-law Bud Johnson.

A service will be held to honour Blair at McPherson Funeral Services - Cranbrook at 2:00 pm on June 6, 2023. Family and friends are invited to come together to honor his memory, share stories, and find solace in the collective embrace of love and support.
In lieu of flowers, please feel free to donate to Canadian Mental Health Association.

https://cmha.donordrive.com/?fuseaction=donate.event&eventID=561&language=en