Katherine Black

1937 - 2016

Katherine Hellman Black

1937-2016

Katherine Hellman Black, a fourth-generation Californian with a deep love for San Francisco, her family, horses, and German short hair pointers, died Feb. 23 after losing a battle with Alzheimer's disease. She was 78.
Katherine was born in San Francisco on July 22, 1937 to Kathryn Payne and I.W. (Warren) Hellman III, long-time president of Wells Fargo Bank.
Katherine always took pride in her family's deep roots in California, which extended back to 1859. She spent much of her childhood among her extended family. Katherine attended Katherine Delmar Burke School from Kindergarten to 12th grade. In 1957, she married James William Lee. They had three children, Karen, Warren, and James. Karen died as a young girl and Lee died a short time later in a 1963 boating accident in Sausalito. Katherine married Fred Mintz and they had a daughter, Nancy. She later married Don Black.
Katherine spent much of her childhood in the outdoors, and that instilled in her a love of the land and of animals. She took up horseback riding at an early age and often rode her beloved horse, Cantu, in the hills and fields near the two ranches she owned over the years, one near Sonora and one in Sonoma.
That love of horses prompted Katherine to take over the care of the horses in the San Francisco Police Mounted Unit once they were retired. For about 35 years, Katherine brought the out-of-duty horses to her Sonoma ranch to spend their waning years in pasture. She also hosted a formal retirement ceremony for each the horses and the police officers that once rode them.
Katherine had a great love for all animals. She kept chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, pigs, sheep, donkeys, and goats on her ranches, deriving great pleasure from taking care of them. Katherine also loved dogs, particularly German short hair pointers. She bred eleven generations of the dogs and raised them as pets, often tucking them into their beds with blankets at night.
Katherine served on the board of the SPCA for decades and played a large role in developing its "no kill" policy, which has since been adopted by animal shelters around the country. She was a generous and hands-on donor, volunteering every week to play with the animals and walk the dogs.
Katherine was also deeply involved with the San Francisco community. She regularly attended the opera, symphony and ballet. Katherine believed strongly in donating back and served on the boards of ARCS, the Little Jim Club at CPMC, the Bear Valley Music Festival, and Temple Emanu-el, where she helped organize the synagogue's 150th anniversary celebration. Katherine is survived by her husband of 37 years, Don, and her three children, Warren (Caren), Jimmy, (Jen) and Nancy (Guy), as well as Warren's daughters, Katie and Kristie, Jim's children, Sidney and Jimmy, and Nancy's children, Emily and Wyatt.
Services will be held Wednesday, March 2 at 1 p.m. at Temple Emanu-el, 2 Lake Street.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made by check payable to "UCSF Foundation" and should include Memory and Aging Center in the memo line or in a cover note. Please also include in the memo line that this gift is in memory of Katherine Hellman Black.
Arrrangments are under direction of Hooper & Weaver Mortuary (530) 265-2429.