Becky Blair

64, Santa Rosa

Becky Blair was the youngest of six siblings, and she enjoyed the benefits that went along with birth order.

“Kind of the typical baby of the family — she got away with more than most of us did,” said her sister Michelle Blair-Weeks, laughing heartily.

Blair was a loving aunt to numerous nieces and nephews before she died of complications from COVID-19 on Aug. 1. She was 64.

“She was great with the kids, and the kids loved her because she was just like a big kid,” Blair-Weeks said.

Becky Blair was born March 13, 1956, and grew up in Santa Rosa. After graduating from Santa Rosa High in 1974, she held several jobs before joining Agilent Technologies, where she did manufacturing and assembly work.

She often was at the forefront of drives to help the less fortunate.

“She liked doing that, putting things together for donations and charity organizations,” Blair-Weeks said.

A few years ago, because of complications from diabetes and other health issues, Blair underwent bilateral leg amputations. After the second amputation, Blair sold her home and moved to a convalescent facility in Petaluma, where she could receive care.

Blair used a mobilized wheelchair to venture out, but the onset of COVID-19 curtailed her ability to socialize, which was especially difficult for a “people person,” Blair-Weeks said.

“When COVID first started, she said, ‘If I get this, I’m not going to survive it,’ ” because of her medical problems, BlairWeeks said.

In July, Blair was hospitalized for an infection and was diagnosed with the virus, Blair-Weeks said.

“She was doing pretty well, and then she had a plasma infusion from a recovered COVID patient, and that’s when things went south,” Blair-Weeks said.

Blair-Weeks said goodbye to her sister over the phone, but she’s not certain Blair could hear or understand.

“It’s really hard to wrap your head around the devastation from this virus,” Blair-Weeks said, “and while you never think it’s going to happen to someone in your family, it does.”

In addition to Blair-Weeks, Blair is survived by siblings Terry Blair, Sharon Farr and Ron Deghi.

— Gary Klein