William Thompson Black

William Thompson Black

William T. Black, 95, formerly of Keswick and Charlottesville, died peacefully on Tuesday, November 8, 2011, at the Gordon House in Gordonsville, Virginia.

He is survived by his three children, Gregory Black, Pamela Black-Van Groll and Cynthia McClelland; as well as five grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Throughout his long, active and healthy life, Bill was known for his generosity, his concern and compassion, and perhaps most of all, his entertaining stories and songs and jokes. Born in Ohio, and coming of age during the Great Depression, Bill worked hard to improve his circumstances and provide well for his family and friends. He married his first wife, Glenna Ralston of Mount Vernon, Ohio, in 1941, and attended Kenyon College. He learned the trade of engraving and printing, and eventually became a leading executive in the printing and packaging industry, responsible for several innovations. In 1949, he became president of Allegheny Label in Pittsburgh, and for a time was the youngest person ever elected to the Young President's Organization. In 1960, he left Allegheny Label and moved to St. Louis, where he became Vice President of Sales for Lustour Corporation, and sat on the Board of Directors between 1960-1980. He was the first chairman of the packaging industry's Web Association. After the death of Glenna in 1975, Bill retired and briefly moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and in 1979, he married Anne McIntire of Keswick. Bill and Anne divided their time between Bridlespur Farm in Keswick and their house in Delray Beach until Anne's death in 2000. He was a member of several clubs in Charlottesville and Delray Beach, including Farmington, the Keswick Hunt Club and Delray Beach Club. An avid golfer throughout his life, though unable to play in recent years, he was a founding member of the Keswick Club. In recent years, due to his reduced mobility, Bill lived primarily at the Gordon House assisted living facility, but spent as much time as he could with his dear friend, Marian Viglione of Charlottesville. Bill was always a great entertainer. Right up until his demise, he could recall and narrate in accurate detail anecdotes and stories of all the people he had met and all of his travels abroad and across America, from his childhood in the Depression up to the current time. He was recently on August 26, 2010, featured in a story on the Depression published in the Charlottesville newspaper, The Hook. His role as a beloved patriarch of a very close family was in some ways responsible for his two daughters moving from New York to the Charlottesville area, as well as two of his grandchildren. At his 95th birthday party at Pomme Restaurant in Gordonsville in May of this year, he was still able to "hold court," keeping every one of the many admiring guests amused with recollections of his long and rich life. His generosity of spirit, his willingness to help those in need, his incredible memory, and his deep enjoyment of all kinds of people will be sorely missed. William Black's remains will be cremated, and as was his wish, no funeral will be held. A small memorial service in Mount Vernon will be planned for next spring.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Hospice of the Piedmont http://www.hopva.org; or Jefferson Area Board for Aging JABA; http://www.jabacares.org.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.