C. Dorman Blaine of Knoxville, age 84, died on Dec. 13. Mr. Blaine, affectionately known by many friends and family as “D-Man,” showed great courage and strength as he faced his recent illness. There is much delight that he has been reunited with his wife, Katherine Ann (Kathie) Gunter Blaine, and now resides in his permanent heavenly home.
Mr. Blaine was born on March 19, 1939, in Ackerman, Miss., to parents Hester and Ellen Coleman Blaine. At a young age, Mr. Blaine’s family relocated to Natchez, Miss., where he made many lifelong friends. He attended Natchez High School, where he was the starting center on the football team, ranked first in the state, and where he met his future wife. In the fall of 1957, Mr. Blaine enrolled at Mississippi State University to study engineering. He joined the Kappa Alpha fraternity and was an ROTC cadet. He graduated in 1961 with a degree in civil engineering.
Mr. and Mrs. Blaine were married, and he was commissioned as a 2nd lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Mr. Blaine then briefly worked for Chicago Bridge and Iron in Birmingham, Ala., before attending officer training school at Fort Belvoir in Virginia. He was then sent to Fort Benning, Ga., where he was a company commander for the engineering battalion. Mr. and Mrs. Blaine loved their Army years and the camaraderie it provided.
Following his military service, Mr. and Mrs. Blaine moved to Montgomery, Ala., where he worked for Blount Brothers Construction. Several years later they moved to Knoxville, where he became an estimator for Rentenbach Constructors.
In 1969, Mr. Blaine and Charlie Hays Jr. formed Construction Management Inc. The name later became Blaine-Hays Construction Inc., and the company became heavily involved in the construction of the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville and later the World’s Fair in New Orleans. In 1984, Mr. Blaine and Mr. Hays started Merit Construction Inc. Merit eventually became an independent company in 1990, owned by Mr. Hays, and Blaine-Hays became Blaine Construction Inc. Blaine Construction developed a reputation for quality and dependability. Whether it was a large or small project, Mr. Blaine always fostered relationships with clients and placed high priority on all jobs. Mr. Blaine always recognized that the value of the company stemmed from the high quality of its employees. He strived to create a family atmosphere within the company and cared deeply for all its associates. He loved nothing more than being on a job site with his much-valued project managers and superintendents.
Blaine Construction has been involved in some of the most notable commercial, industrial, and institutional projects in East Tennessee and beyond for the past 54 years. In 2000, Yates Construction, a Mississippi-based company, purchased Blaine Construction, and Mr. Blaine remained as president until 2014. Blaine Construction continues to stay ranked among the top construction service providers in the country, according to Engineering News Record.
Mr. Blaine was active in several professional organizations. He served as the director and president of the local and state Associated General Contractors. He served on the Knoxville and Oak Ridge chambers of commerce. He was a member of the 2008 Leadership Knoxville Class, and in recent years he received the Legacy Award from the Associated General Contractors. Mr. Blaine was especially proud to be involved with the Catholic Church and the Diocese of Knoxville, where he served on the finance board and was involved in the Columbus Home. He took great pleasure in being a part of the development of the current Knoxville Catholic High School, where he sat on the board of trustees.
Always a man with many hobbies and interests, Mr. Blaine especially enjoyed his time fly fishing with his son, Alec. Throughout his life, he also enjoyed reading, golf, snow skiing, and spending many years with his family at his Hound Ears home in North Carolina.
Mr. Blaine was a man of quiet faith but demonstrated his belief in Christ with his actions and treatment of others. He always considered himself to be tremendously blessed, surrounded by a family he loved and of whom he was so proud, and having been afforded the opportunity to successfully pursue the career of his dreams.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Kathie Gunter Blaine. He and Kathie were blessed with four children who all survive him. He had one son and three daughters: Alec and Tammy Blaine, Melissa and Paul Harrison, Susannah and Peter Dunn, and Mary Hannah and Taylor MacCurdy. He also leaves six beloved grandchildren: George and Blaine (Ellen) Harrison, Taylor and Sophie Blaine, Thomas Dunn, and Sommers MacCurdy.
A funeral Mass for Mr. Blaine was celebrated on Dec. 20 at the Cathedral of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, with Father David Boettner serving as the celebrant. Concelebrating the Mass were Father Chris Michelson and Father Martin Gladysz. Interment was private.
Donations in Mr. Blaine’s memory can be made to Catholic Charities of East Tennessee or Knoxville Catholic High School.
