George W. Black

1930 - 2013

GALESBURG - George W. Black, 82, Galesburg, died at 12:20 p.m. Thursday, April 11, 2013, at the Knox County Nursing Home.
He was born Aug. 24, 1930, in London, Ky., the son of Robert W. and Georgia Nantz Black. He married JoAnn Hurt on Sept. 12, 1954.
He is survived by a son, John Robert (and Rosanna) Black of Galesburg; a daughter, Cheryl Ann Black of Algonquin; and three grandchildren, Jaclyn Rae Cummings of Milan, Caitlin Alexandra (and John) Guanzon of Clarksville, Tenn., and Michael James Black of Galesburg.
George's family moved to Galesburg in the 1930s. His father and uncle opened Black Brothers Hardware and George worked there from age 7 until the store was sold in 1978. In 1979, he opened Black's Power Equipment and Depot Hobby Shop. George never retired; he remained there until the building was sold in January 2013. In his later years, he could often be seen sitting in the front window, watching traffic and the trains. He graduated from Galesburg High School in 1948 and received his bachelor's degree in business from Western Illinois University in 1954. He had lived at Lake Bracken from 1954 to 1985.
George was a big "airplane nut," as he used to say, first flying model airplanes in high school (control line), then flying R/C planes until the late '90s. He was also involved with Ultralight airplanes, owning a couple of Weedhoppers. George was building a couple of experimental airplanes in the basement of the hobby shop but never completed them.
George was a member of Galesburg Radio Control Modelers and Monmouth Flying Club. George was also a past member of Galesburg Credit Bureau and Galesburg Exchange Club.
George was a member of First Baptist Church, where he was a church deacon and drove the church bus for many years.
Funeral will be 10 a.m. Monday, April 15, 2013, at Hinchliff-Pearson-West Galesburg Chapel. Rev. Daniel Siems will officiate. Visitation will be 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the chapel. Burial will be in Oak Lawn Memorial Gardens. Memorials may be made to First Baptist Church. Online condolences may be made at www.h-p-w.com.