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George Thomas Black “Tom”
August 6, 1944-August 19, 1958
The following was provided by Kay LaPrade Marchioni
Tom Black went through kindergarten- 6th grade at Kennedy elementary school and two years at Shroder junior high. His mother, Bessie, was a prime mover in getting the junior high school built in Kennedy Heights.
When Tom was fourteen years old, he and his father were cleaning the gutters on their house. A rung in a wooden ladder broke and Tom fell to the ground, landing on concrete. He was three inches away from the grass. Had he landed on the soft grass, he may have lived. Hundreds of class members from Shroder attended his visitation and funeral.
He was the son of George and Bessie Black. His dark hair and vivid blue eyes were evidence of his father’s Scot heritage. He was the brother of Marylyn Black Alexander. They lived at 6442 Welton Street in Kennedy Heights.
In our first year at Shroder, Tom gave a costume Halloween party. I couldn’t decide on a costume to wear to the party and discussed ideas with Mrs. Black. She was a kind woman and actually hand-made a great costume for me to wear.
After Tom died, I got together with his mother and older sister about every two years, and up until her death in 2005 his mother and his sister, who died in 2018, would sob speaking about him.
Tom was a close friend of Dan McPartlin, another member of the Class of 1962.
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