William Harold "Bill" Black Jr.

William Harold Black Jr., the son of Dr. W. Harold Black and Sara Jane Black of Everett, Pa., died on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024.
He is survived by his three sons, Bryan (Janice), Kevin (Kathy), and Steve (Kim); eight grandsons, Jeremy, Andrew, Timothy, Steven, Tyler, Christopher, Daniel, and Matthew; and 13 great-grandchildren.
William/Bill, known to his family and Pennsylvania friends as Jack, was born in Everett, Pa., on Aug. 16, 1934. He graduated from Everett High School, where he played on the football and basketball teams. He also was a member of the marching band and the National Honor Society.
Upon graduation from Everett High School, he enrolled at Gettysburg (Pa.) College and majored in business and history. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He participated in ROTC, which gave him a commission in the Air Force upon graduation in 1956.
After graduation, he met his future wife, Barbara Louise Wertz of Bedford, Pa. They dated for the summer and got engaged in October, then married on Jan. 5, 1957. Barbara died on Aug. 5, 2022, just months short of their 66th wedding anniversary.
The couple honeymooned for a week at the Pocono Gardens Lodge after their 1957 wedding. They then packed up and headed for Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. After William/Bill/Jack completed basic training, the next step was a move to Bainbridge (Ga.) Air Force Base to begin pilot training. From there, they were sent to Cheyenne, Wyo., for schooling to be a supply officer. The next stop was Kansas City, Mo., to be a supply officer at Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base.
After completing his Air Force commitment, he returned to Everett and accepted a job with Potomac Edison electric company in Hagerstown, Md. He then was sent to Winchester, Va., where he worked with building and electrical contractors. His focus was promoting electric heating and quality home wiring.
A few years later, he decided to give the electrical business a try. In 1965, he started Bill Black's Electric and ventured further into central air conditioning and heat pumps. He continued in this business until retiring in 2010. He and Barbara built and lived in four different homes in Winchester and Frederick County from the 1960s into the 2010s. In 2013, he and Barbara moved into the Village at Orchard Ridge and made that their home for the rest of their lives.
In his youth, he always enjoyed hunting for ringneck pheasants in Greensburg, Pa., with his dad, his Grandfather Alvin Hunt, and his Uncle Dick Suiters. He also enjoyed deer hunting with the Bedford camp of which he was a member, as well as many fishing and hunting trips with his three sons. As an adult, he became interested in metal detecting and located many Civil War artifacts.
The family will receive friends Saturday, September 28, 2024 at Grace Lutheran Church in Winchester from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm. A funeral service will follow at 2:00 pm with Pastor Martha Miller Sims officiating. Entombment will take place at Shenandoah Memorial Park Mausoleum at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Bill's name to Grace Lutheran Church 26 W Boscawen Street Winchester, VA 22601.