Photo by Eduardo Barrios
The Timeless Legacy of Betty Blair by Melissa Joy
W
hen I first agreed to write this article, I wasn’t sure what the topic would be. But sometimes the universe will point you in the right direction. As a financial planner, I am given the opportunity to know people throughout many stages of their lives. And a compelling story I have to tell is about Betty Blair, a special octogenarian who I had to bid farewell to earlier this summer. When I first met Betty eight years ago, she did not feel heard by her financial advisor and had asked a trusted friend for recommendations. Fortunately, he gave her my name! 26 | The Brick Magazine
Betty Blair was a trailblazing journalist. She spent more than 20 years working at the Detroit News during the tail end of her career. Prior to that, she had worked at newspapers across the country covering women’s issues. She told me that in her ideal world, there would be no need for a dedicated “women’s section” of the paper. Although the women’s section was what she became known for writing and editing, Betty strongly believed that stories about women should not be relegated to a separate section of the paper. They stand on their own merit and are relevant to everyone.