Beth Blair (1971-2064)

DENVER (December 26, 2064)--Beth Blair, author of beloved children's titles and touted worldwide as a tireless child advocate, died peacefully at her home this week. She was 93.

Once saddled with responsibilities surrounding the daily grind, Blair's famous choice to change her life in 2011 gave her a fresh perspective and renewed inspiration, and ultimately became a life-altering and lifesaving decision. Rather than spending a few more years a slave to her appetite and her commitments, Blair spent another half-century living to make a difference for herself and for causes she championed. Throughout "the rest of her life," as she referred to the years after 2011, Blair steadfastly declined to comment on the catalyst for the change, saying only that "What has shaped me is mine; now it's time for my experiences to be worth something. God gave me the gift of words, and shortly before my 40th birthday I discovered that He intended me to use them. That's what I did."

Blair's first children's story was published in 2013, and while not immediately noticed by critics, the story--and later, others in the 60-title series--was published and distributed in thousands of holiday gift packages for underprivileged children across the United States. The titles delicately dealt with current issues for children, with special emphasis on cultivating self-esteem and understanding nutrition and health. With profits from the series, Blair launched the Believe Foundation, whose mission is to instill self-esteem and inspiration in young people to equip them to make a difference in their world.

Blair moved to Colorado in 2020 and settled on 40 acres of farmland at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. She dubbed the land "Rescue Ranch" and took in any animal that couldn't find a home. Officials at Rescue Ranch estimate that more than 10,000 animals have found a warm bed and nourishing food over the past 40 years.

Generally preferring to maintain a quiet lifestyle, Blair was not one to mince words over subjects for which she held a passion. While not traveling to deliver one of her much-coveted humorous and inspirational addresses to schoolteachers and service organizations, Blair spent her precious quiet time painting in her pottery studio or working on her next story. She is survived by her children, Sarah and Michael, whom she adopted in 2015, and her Rescue Ranch animals.

"My mother was a great leader, a great artist, and a great-hearted person. She loved her Lord and she loved her family, both those family by blood and by bond," Sarah Blair said in a statement released by the Believe Foundation. "She always said she didn't want to be remembered by name, but rather by legacy."