A Celebration of Life, Love and Moving On

George and Virginia Black eloped into their next adventure on November 15, 2007 from their home in Bulverde, Texas.

They were married 64 years. George, formerly of Veedersburg, IN passed from this life at 11:30 a.m. and Virginia, formerly of Evansville, IN, joined him at 10 p.m. that evening.

George Kenton Black was born April 7, 1921 in Akron, Ohio to Robert Speed Black (1898-1984) and Gladys McGuire Black (1893-1979). He and his sisters, Margaret Black Pepping and Jean Black Fisher and brother, Robert Black, grew up mostly in and near Veedersburg, Indiana. George graduated from Veedersburg High School in 1939. George majored in Agricultural Economics at Purdue University, where he sang in the Glee Club, and graduated in 1943. He served in the Navy during WWII. Virginia Meredith McCarty Black was born January 19, 1923 to Jacob Arnold McCarty (1892-1960) and Dorothy Crawford McCarty (1898-1980). She and her brother James A. McCarty grew up in Evansville, Indiana. Virginia graduated from Bosse High School in Evansville in 1940. She majored in Home Economics - Family Life Specialist at Purdue University with the Class of '44, completing her diploma at a later time.

George and Virginia were married July 28, 1943 and, following WWII, settled in Evansville where George worked with his father-in-law at the JA McCarty Seed Co., home of Lucky Jim Popcorn. In Evansville, they were both active members of the First Presbyterian Church and many other community endeavors. George was active in Jr. Chamber of Commerce, Chamber of Commerce, Indiana and American Seed Trade Association, Indiana Crop Improvement Association, Alpha Zeta {Agricultural Honorary Fraternity} and Ceres {Agronomy Honorary Fraternity}.

Virginia was the Story Lady for WJPS children's radio show "Let's Pretend", a founder of the nursery program at First Presbyterian and Evansville's first Senior Citizen's Center, Girl Scout and 4H club leader, and several adult education programs with the "War on Poverty."

Both George and Virginia were ardent participants in the Evansville and Indiana Council of Churches, Neighborhood House, NAACP, Mayor’s Human Rights Commission, the PTA, foster parents for several multi-ethnic adolescents, and sponsored three families of displaced persons.

They had five children: Meredith B. McGuire -Spickard, Rebecca B. Kane, George Kenton Black, Jr., Sarah B. Page and Christopher Crawford Black (1957-1999). While they each said that parenting was the most important work they ever did, George continued his work in agricultural businesses in Nebraska and Wisconsin and Virginia used her expertise in the fields of adult education and community development.

From 1978-1984 they took their love of the earth and her people abroad, first to Kenya, Kawangware/Kabiro, the impoverished outskirts of Nairobi for 4 years and then to Peru for 1 year doing community development work through the Institute for Cultural Affairs.

Returning to the U.S. they continued their stewardship, managing non-profit campground facilities in Pisgah National Forest, North Carolina and Daniel Boone National Forest, Kentucky. They retired to Texas in 1997 to grow a new garden of beauty and friends.

Brothers and sisters, cousins, children, 11 living grandchildren, 3 great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, many others who have named them the mother and father of their hearts, and dear friends around the world: they leave us to carry on, to care for each other and our home - the earth, to grow peace, beauty and love.

-- LenHockley - 19 Dec 2007