Longboat Key Obituaries

Norman Reiter

Norman Reiter, 77, of Longboat Key, died Jan. 14.

He was a 30-year leukemia survivor and will be remembered as a nice man with a great sense of humor. He will be missed by his golf buddies, “The Bandits.”

He is survived by his wife of 25 years, Pam; children Robert Reiter and Lorinn Smith; their spouses; brother Bernard Reiter; and seven grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Jewish Family and Children’s Services of the Suncoast, 2688 Fruitville Road, or Tidewell Hospice, 5957 Rand Blvd.

Doris Blair

Doris Blair, 89, of Bronxville, N.Y., died Dec. 27.

She was born and raised in Brooklyn and graduated from Erasmus Hall High School in 1945. She was married to Wesley Blair Jr. until his death in 2010. The couple had four children. 

She was an active community volunteer for the Bronxville school system, the Reformed Church of Bronxville and the Bronxville Girl Scouts. She was a past member of the Great Consistory at the Reformed Church, the Lawrence Hospital board and a member of the co-op association board. She was a member of Christ Church on Longboat Key.

She sold real estate until 2015, when she was 88.

She is survived by her four children and their spouses; Wesley III and Rebecca Blair, David Blair and Marianne Bokan-Blair, Robert and Carol Blair, Nancy and David Marks; 10 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; numerous nieces and nephews; and one great nephew.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Gardner Marks Foundation, 23 Algonquin Drive, Chappaqua, N.Y., 10514, or online at gardnermarksfoundation.org.

Betty Swift

Betty Swift, 94, died Jan. 15.

She was born in Montgomery Ala., in 1923. She was a graduate of the University of Maryland and held the Navy’s Distinguished Civilian Service award and the Naval Intelligence Edward Neilsen Award. During World War II, she worked at Maxwell Air Force. After the war, she worked at the Air University.

In 1952, she moved to northern Virginia and worked as an editor for Army Intelligence. In 1961, she and her husband Vaughn, moved to Heidelberg, Germany, where she became a contracting officer for the U.S. Army, Europe. Upon her return to the U.S., she worked as a program analyst and budget officer for the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Office of Naval Intelligence.

She and Vaughn, a lieutenant colonel, retired to Longboat Key. When Vaughn died in 1983, Betty moved to Washington, D.C., and became a financial manager of the Naval Intelligence Command. She retired again in 1991, and had homes in Arlington, Sarasota and Montgomery.

She is survived by her sister, Jean Price Lewis; great nieces Kristin Henderson and Karin Blom; and great nephew Patrick Lewis.