MILT THOMAS

Holly Bair deserves more than a 12-word obituary in the local daily paper, and not just because she was my ninth grade Latin teacher. Miss Bair was a pioneer, the first baby girl born in the Indian River Farms district. for those who might not know, Indian River Farms was a 50,000-acre tract of swampland bought by developer Herman Zeuch back in 1911 (forgive me if my facts aren’t their usual accuracy because I just woke up to see her obituary tucked in a tiny corner of the obituary page and had to say something).

Miss Bair was born on Christmas Day in 1915, at least some indication of how special she was. She graduated from Florida State (College for Women) in 1937 and spent her entire teaching career except for one year and Vero Beach High School, retiring in 1962.

Holly Bair touched many of us in her long teaching career. For me, I was a 15-year old sophomore, but Latin was not just another course. As I grew in my career and became a writer, whenever I came across a word I didn’t know, I immediately referred back to the Latin connection if there was one.  I still do. And I still think of Holly Bair in the same thought as Latin, which was never a “dead” language to me. Thanks to her. In the words of the Roman poet, Horace, Non omnis moriar, Not all of me shall die. That is so true, Holly Bair.

We cannot honor her with a desrespectful 12-word obituary, so it appears here in its entirety thanks to Strunk Funeral Home:

December 25, 1915 – August 17, 2013

Mrs. Holly Margery (Waker) Bair, 97, went to be with the Lord on August 17, 2013.

She was a pioneer and had the distinction of being the first girl baby born in the Indian River Farms District. She was born on Christmas Day, December 25, 1915. She spent her school years in the elementary and high school of Vero Beach and was graduated as valedictorian of her class of 1933. 

After she was graduated from Florida State in 1937, she taught one year at Campbellton, Florida, and then spent the remainder of her career teaching English and Latin at Vero Beach High School until she retired in 1962. She was a sponsor of the Arrowhead Annual for two years.

She attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Florida at Gainesville. She was a member of the Eta Sigma Phi Classical Honorary Association and served as National Secretary for one year. She was also a member of the Indian River Historical Society.

In 1942 she met Harvey Franklin Bair at the roller skating rink. Harvey was from Altoona, Pennsylvania, and was stationed at Banana River Naval Air Station (now Patrick’s Air force Base). He was a member of the Transition Training Squadron Atlantic. Harvey and Holly were married on July 14, 1943, at the Community Church.

They lived in Melbourne, Florida, Altoona, Pennsylvania, and in Corpus Christi, Texas, until Harvey was being readied to be sent to San Diego, California, to be shipped out to the Pacific War Zone when World War II was declared over, and he was sent back to Vero Beach and then to Jacksonville for his honorable discharge. They returned to Vero Beach for the remainder of their years.

Holly and Harvey celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary on July 14, 2006. They were members of Tabernacle Ministries for over 31 years.

Holly was preceded in death by her husband, Harvey Franklin Bair. She is surrived by two sons, Franklin Harvey of Fort Pierce and wife, Judy; Dennis Robert of Matthew, N.C., and wife, Joyce; 4 grandchildren, and 4 great-grandchildren, 8 nieces and 6 nephews.

Visitation will be from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM, Saturday, August 31, 2013, at Tabernacle Ministries, Vero Beach. Funeral services will follow at the church with the Rev. David Foster, Pastor, Tabernacle Ministries, officiating.

Interment will be in Crestlawn Cemetery, Vero Beach.

Memorial contributions may be made to Tabernacle Christian School, 51 Old Dixie Hwy, Vero Beach, FL 32962 in memory of Holly.