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Keene State Athletics Mourns the Loss of Cam Blair '12

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Cam Blair
Cam Blair

Keene State College lost a member of its men’s soccer family with the recent passing of Cameron (Cam) M. Blair. A member of the U.S. Air Force, Blair, a 2012 KSC grad who earned a degree in health promotion and fitness, died May, 23, 2015 due to a medical condition, while en route to Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Miss. The Keene native was 26 years old.

An avid soccer player, Blair played four seasons at Keene State. Joining the Owls as a freshman in 2007, Blair, a sturdy player who saw time up front and at midfield for the Owls, missed his sophomore season with a back injury, before returning to the field from 2009-11. Earning a starting role as a junior, Blair finished his Owl career with 10 goals and eight assists for 28 points. He had four game-winning goals, including one in overtime against rival Plymouth State his junior year. Blair also played on two NCAA soccer teams for Keene State in 2007 and 2010.

Blair came to KSC after playing four standout seasons at Keene High where he was a two-time All-State player and senior captain.

“Cam came to my soccer camp, so he wasn’t one of those players that I just saw a few times on recruiting trips,” said Ron Butcher, who coached at Keene State through 2013 and coached Blair all four years. “I followed his career and felt he would be a very good player at Keene State and he turned out to be a very hardworking, versatile player for us over four years.”

“He played a multitude of positions, but one thing about Cam he came to practice every day and worked hard,” Butcher added. “He graduated and found what he wanted to do in life. It’s tragic. The young man never had a chance to live the life that he wanted to live and that’s something that’s very sad.”

Rick Scott ‘77, who took over the Keene State program last fall, remembers Blair as a young boy starting out in the sport. “I had him when he was four years old in micro soccer. When Cam was 11, I took him and his father (Michael) to Italy with the select premier travel team and they had a great time,” Scott recalls. “I spent a lot of time trying to get him to Keene State and it was well worth it. He was a very hard worker and two-way player who was a pleasure to coach.”

Blair’s teammates returned to the area to attend his funeral and pay respects to his family. “His entire team – all the guys that played with him came back,” said Butcher. “He had tons of friends and people who cared about him. They played together and socialized together. When you lose someone that young it’s a tragedy.”

Scott called Blair a good person, and a good teammate. “They all depended on each other on and off the field and he was always there for them,” he said.

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