J. Elliott Blaydes Jr. ’50

Elliott, known to us as “Razor,” was a competitive man with a strong faith that sustained him in his personal and professional life. He died May 19, 2015, in his hometown of Bluefield, W.Va.

Before Princeton, Razor served in the Navy. In college he played JV football and basketball, belonged to Cottage, and majored in biology. He earned his medical degree at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

After an internship, ophthalmology training, and chief residency at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, Razor returned to Bluefield in 1958 to practice ophthalmology with his father. He not only brought the latest advances in eye care to his patients, but developed new suture materials, surgical instruments, and techniques for cataract surgery.

Razor was widely recognized for his research and educational seminars. His outreach included a humanitarian mission to Honduras, the China Vision Project, and coordination of the Rural Health Care Symposia in Appalachia. The Blaydes Clinic, formed in 1969, continues to serve the Bluefield area.

He was a leader in local and national health and educational organizations. Razor was an avid sportsman who enjoyed hunting, fishing, golfing, and playing tennis. He authored a biography and a hunting memoir.

He is survived by his wife, Anita; and children Elizabeth, Jaime, and Stephen ’81. Razor’s sons James and William predeceased him.