John D. Black

1988 - 2021

John David Black - a cherished son, brother, husband, father, and friend - died in the loving company of his family in the early hours of April 25, 2021.

His love for Washington sports teams, specifically the Redskins and Capitals, brought him both joy and anguish throughout his life. He frequently attended Redskins games as a kid - which led to a lifelong commitment to tailgate excellence - and was thrilled to attend a series game of the Capitals Stanley Cup win in 2018.

John was born on January 7, 1988 and enjoyed an idyllic childhood in his family's quaint colonial on Cross Country Drive in Ellicott City. He spent his days happily tormenting his siblings, tending to elaborate fish tanks, and exploding the hearts of everyone he met. His sense of respectfulness and responsibility bloomed through his devoted karate practice, in which he achieved a second degree black belt and became one of the studio's youngest teachers. Always a man of great faith, John also participated in Catholic mass celebrations as an altar boy. He was a graduate of the Gilman School where he played football, hockey, and golf. He continued to enjoy playing golf into adulthood.

John went on to attend the University of Richmond. He was respected immensely by his fraternity brothers in Sigma Chi, and was entrusted with the role of "raising" and training the new class of pledges. Despite his wild and often unreasonable requests, these men grew to admire John greatly and have supported him throughout both the trials and joys of his life. These friendships were held closely to his heart.

Richmond is also where John met his wife Jen. While their love story was a short one, it was strong and everlasting. John was playful and adventurous, which made him the very best dad. John added whimsy and fun to practically every activity and set the example for loving hard and finding the joy in each and every day.

John also achieved great success in all of his professional pursuits. He excelled as the Director of Product Management at LightWedge in Boston, MA and later transitioned into information technology sales as a Senior Executive Account Manager with Connection. He was known for his exceptional work ethic and commitment to client service.

John was predeceased by his paternal grandparents, Peter and Ruth Black, maternal grandmother Donna Jacoby of Ellicott City, MD; and his maternal grandfather, Fred Jacoby. He leaves behind his wife, Jennifer Black, and children, Lilly and John of Vienna, VA; his parents, John and Jeannine Black of Phoenix, MD; sister and brother-in-law, Leah and Paul Gieri, and their daughters Isabella and Siena of Lehi, UT; brother and sister-in-law, Evan and Frankie Black of Fort Worth, TX; maternal grandmother, Donna Jacoby of Ellicott City, MA, in-laws, Rich and Terri Forde of Bluffton, SC, as well as bonus siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and countless friends.

Visitation hours will be held at Money & King Funeral Home in Vienna, VA on Friday, April 30th from 2-4pm and 6-8pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Mark Catholic Church in Vienna, VA on Saturday, May 1st at 12 noon, followed by a burial service at Fairfax Memorial Park in Fairfax, VA.

In lieu of flowers, the family has expressed their wish that gestures of sympathy be made by charitable donations to "Johns Hopkins University," c/o Fund for Johns Hopkins Medicine, 750 E. Pratt Street, 17th Floor, Baltimore, MD, 21202 with a note indicating the donation be allocated to Dr. John Laterra's Research. Memorial gifts can also be made securely online at https://secure.jhu.edu/form/neuro by selecting the "other" box and including Dr. John Laterra's Research. Online condolences and fond memories of John may be offered to the family at www.moneyandking.com