 In the late 1970s, Blair was appointed by the provincial government of Bill Davis to head a commission examining how property tax rates should be set.He was then appointed to serve as the chair of the Liquor Licensing Board of Ontario from 1981 to 1986.He died in Toronto on April 5, 2014 at the age of 90 and was survived by his wife Elsie, their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.