Former William Blair & Co. Managing Partner Edward “Ed” McCormick Blair, 95, died at his home in Lake Bluff on Dec.  22.

Blair was the son of William McCormick Blair, founder of William Blair & Co., a Chicago-based investment firm, and the great grandnephew of Cyrus McCormick, inventor of the McCormick reaper.

Born in 1915, the lifelong Chicagoan received his bachelor’s from Yale and his master’s in business administration from Harvard.  He was a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Naval Pacific fleet, where he adapted highly classified decoded Japanese intelligence for  use by U.S. submarines, according to a statement from the firm.

He joined William Blair & Co. in 1946 and became a partner in 1950.  In 1961, he succeeded his father as managing partner, a position he held until 1977.

Blair was on the boards of such companies as Herman Miller, Lake Central Airlines, Field Enterprises and Marshall Field & Co.   He was chairman of the board of trustee for Rush University Medical Center and chairman of the investment committee for the University of Chicago’s board of trustees.  Blair was a life trustee at the Art Institute of Chicago and a life director for the George M. Pullman Educational Foundation.

An art enthusiast, he donated his collection of Paul Gauguin works on paper to the Art Institute of Chicago in 2003.  An avid traveler, his favorite place was Bora Bora.  He was known to spend hours whale watching in Maine on his boat “Lovely Lucy.”

He’s survived by his sons Ed Blair Jr. and Frank Blair; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and brother William “Bill” McCormick Blair Jr.

Blair was  preceded in death by his wife, Elizabeth Iglehart Blair and his brother, Bowen Blair.

A private cremation is scheduled, and a memorial reception will be held at the Chicago Club  later.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Rush University Medical Center or the College of the Atlantic, where Blair was chairman of the board of trustees.

byerak@tribune.com