Lauren M. Blair

Lauren Michelle Blair passed on to her Heavenly Home and the loving arms of the Lord and her parents, Reverend Glenn T. Blair, Rebecca (Jones) Blair and sister, Beverly K. (Blair) Oyebanjo on Sunday, March 8, 2026. Thus closes the chapter of the tightly knit Blair family of four in Binghamton, New York, but their imprint here will be timeless. Lauren was born in Columbus, Georgia in February of 1956. She celebrated her 70th birthday just nine days prior to her passing.

The Blairs relocated from the South in the late 1960's to Endicott, N.Y and later to Binghamton, where Reverend Glenn T. Blair pastored Trinity AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Zion Church in Binghamton and Saint Mathew's AME Zion Church in Norwich, NY.

Their home was full of music and books, high expectation, and lots of love and togetherness. In their family, selfless service in the community and church, and quietly assisting others with various needs were givens. Lauren (and Beverly) both learned by strong example and the power of faith and prayer.

Lauren graduated with high honors from Union Endicott High School, where her parents were both educators in the UE School system. Since her early school years, she excelled in all subjects, including piano lessons. Like her history teaching father, she was an avid lover of reading and buying books. She could often be found with difficult "brain teaser" magazines in hand or purse!

After graduating from Broome Community College, Lauren attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City for a degree in Apparel Design. Over the years, she created countless formal gowns and special event outfits for friends and customers by simply sketching what they desired and taking measurements! She enjoyed the skill and patience required for intricate hand beading on clothing and accessories. Lauren's gift and passion for fabric and sewing was first influenced by Mother Blair who was also an excellent seamstress. Together, they practiced a "must do ritual" of making summer outfits for traveling back to the South for family visits. Beyond her seamstressing, Lauren's artistic gifts included commissioned portraiture, oil painting, and clay sculpture. Her amazing work graced many professional exhibit spaces and shows.

Lauren served for many years as the lead graphic artist and designer for WSKG Public Television in Vestal.  As their primary designer, she was instrumental in creating the smart design of the station's popular programming magazine, Gamut. She created the look and promotional materials for many of WSKG's documentaries and local programming. Prior to Lauren's long career at WSKG, she was a graphic artist for WICZ -TV and an advertising illustrator for McClean's Department Store, both in Binghamton.

Lauren was also an outstanding actress, singer and musician. She had a role in The (Endicott) Cider Mill Playhouse's production of To Kill a Mockingbird.  As a member of Renaissance Revival Theatre, Binghamton's first African American troupe, Lauren delivered a breathtaking performance of the tragic "Lady in Red" from Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls (Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf).  She mastered the bizarre, knife wielding "Ponnie" in Elmo Terry's The Fruits of Miss Morning.  She may have had the most stage fun as a singing waitress in Brenda Cave-James' Gentleman Joe's Cabare, honoring Binghamton's own "Gentleman Joe" Taylor, boxing great and supper club owner. Later, Lauren was co-founder of Trav'len This Road Theatre with her "girlfriend sisters" (Kathy, Brenda, Velaria, Bonnie and Saburrah) winding poetry, original Black history scripts and the Sacred ("Negro" ) Spirituals together. She was the group's a cappella harmony point leader. This came naturally as Lauren was also the church pianist and "Trinity Singers" choir director at her beloved Trinity AME Zion Church.

Lauren leaves many to mourn her passing, including her second family: Ike and Connie Studgeon, their son Nathan and his daughter, Eva Waldo- Studgeon; Brenda Cave-James, Lauren's "other sister"; faithful "brother" (and "bestie in banter") C.L. Denson; countless lifelong friends and former co-workers, including Brian Frey of WSKG; and of course, Lauren's Trinity church family of more than fifty years! She loved her good neighbors the Borgna Family. Lauren leaves beloved cousins in Georgia and Alabama, the birth places of her parents and where the family took annual road trips when her parents were alive.

Our peace (we who love Lauren so much and we who will miss her often comical, upbeat, quick witted, and yes, sometimes ornery spirit) are only comforted knowing she is in the loving arms of the Lord and with the parents and sister she missed so much.

Reverend Dr. Damond Wilson will be officiating Lauren's services with Reverend Lawrence Jones eulogizing. Lauren's "Home Going Service" will be on Monday, March 16, 2026, at Trinity AME Zion Church, 203 Oak Street in Binghamton (corner of Oak and Lydia streets). Visitation is at 12:00 noon, and service will be at 1:00pm, with the repast immediately following the service at the church.

There will be a short reading and prayer with Reverend Dr. Damond Wilson before Lauren's entombment into the Blair crypt at Vestal Hills Cemetery on Old Vestal Road at 11:00am on Tuesday, March 17, 2026, the day after her service. Meet at the main entrance please, to follow the Shea Funeral Director towards the top of the hill at the cemetery.

A huge heartfelt "Thank You!" to everyone who reached out in love and help, all participants in dear Lauren's service, including our dynamic Trinity women organizing the repast; our Reverend Dr. Damond Wilson and First Lady Wilson; Bishop Larry Simpson of New Heights Ministries of Binghamton: Reverend Lawrence Jones and Mother Williams for traveling from Elmira NY.! Thank you, Stacy Lovett, Nora Jefferson, and Bonnie Beale for being who you are. A tremendous thanks and appreciation for the excellent staff of Wilson Hospital's Emergency Department, especially R.N. Kristen. May God bless all of you richly for your kindness. 

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