Raymond Black

Raymond Arnold Black

Raymond Arnold Black, Age 91 years & 1 month of Tempe Arizona passed away on March 30, 2015.

He was born February 4, 1924 to Paul and Georgia Mae Platz Black near Brashear MO. He was united in marriage to Geneva Stanley, May 28, 1950 at Kirksville MO. They had a happy marriage for 63 years.

He is survived by his daughter, Joyce Ann Black Wood (Richard), Mesa AZ; Son Paul James Black (Ann), Akron, OH; grandsons, Morgan R, Wood, Payson, AZ., Steven J. Black and Jonathan B. Black, Akron, OH.; granddaughters, Georgina M. Black Kreitzburg, Akron OH, Allison S. Wood, Mesa, AZ; great granddaughters, Victoria M. Young & Hannah Beck, Akron OH, & great grandsons, Johnny E. Wood, Payson, AZ, Kenneth Kreitzburg, Akron, OH & Kale C. Wood, Mesa, AZ.; step-great grandchildren, Kaila, Kailyn & Tom Kreitzburg Jr., Akron OH.

He was preceded in death by his Parents, & brother, William “Bud” Black (Voncile) & sister, Pauline Black Mayfield.

Raymond was a 4th Generation N.E. Missourian! He was the last surviving great grandson of John and Sarah (Taylor) Black, who moved from Kentucky to Quincy, Illinois, to Edina, Missouri in 1839.

Mr. Black attended Northeast Missouri Schools Graduating from Kahoka High School, May of 1941, He attended KSTC (Truman University), Greeley State College and Arizona State University, majoring in industrial arts.

His family owned many corner grocery stores in Northeast MO, where he learned his work ethic when he was young. In addition, he was a butcher, wood worker, a home builder and a HAM Radio operator. He worked for the Unites States Postal Service for 24 years at Mesa, AZ, retiring in March of 1984.

He was a member of St. Luke Lutheran Church, Mesa, AZ.

In High School and College he played basketball, & was Captain of the Kahoka, MO basketball team. He always enjoyed baseball & he was an avid fan of the St. Louis Cardinal’s, Arizona Diamondbacks, & the Phoenix Suns, as well as all ASU Sports teams. Upon Graduation from High School he joined the United States Army and, as he said, “It was his High School Graduation trip.”

Mr. Black served his country in WWII with the United States Army, Signal Corps in the European Theatre with an honorable discharge January 24, 1946. He was part of Patton’s Army positioned in England Prior to D-Day it was known as Operation Fortitude which was the code name for this World War II military deception employed by the Allied nations as part of an overall deception strategy to confuse the Germans which then evolved into Operation Quicksilver. From there his unit then went on to the European mainland on to freeing the concentration camps and releasing them, and then to Berlin. Mr. Black was awarded many medals, including Two Bronze Stars. He was a Life Time Member of both the V.F.W. and the American Legion. He was a supporter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. He liked his coffee, to read, to travel the US by road, to camp and fish.

Visitation will be at the Davis-Playle-Hudson-Rimer Funeral Chapel on Thursday, April 9, 2015 at 9:30 a.m. just prior to the Funeral Service that will follow at 10:30 a.m. at the Davis-Playle-Hudson-Rimer Funeral Chapel. Burial will be at the Brashear Cemetery, Brashear, MO.

Pallbearers will be Derek Kirkpatrick, Jeff Stanley, Jon Black, Steven Black.

Davis-Playle-Hudson-Rimer Funeral Home
2100 E. Shepherd Ave.
Kirksville, MO 63501 660-665-2233

Memorials may be made to: Make-A-Wish Foundation, that grants last wishes to terminally ill young children; Cardon’s Children’s Hospital, Mesa AZ; St. Luke Lutheran Church, Mesa, AZ; Youth Fundraiser, for National Youth Gathering in New Orleans, LA 2015 or Any Local Ronald McDonald House.