Richard Gary Black Jr. age 73 of Aurora, Colorado passed away on July 30, 2018. Mr. Black was born on January 20, 1945 at his grandparent’s farm in Anderson, South Carolina to the late Carolynn Louise Lange and Richard Black. At the age of 12 he moved into the Epworth home, an orphanage in Columbia, South Carolina. He graduated from the Citadel, Charleston, S.C., class of 1966, Co. H, with a degree in Modern Languages earning Departmental Honors. During his time at the Citadel and after, he was a folk singer with Friends in the South and enthusiastic about various genres of music. He was a member of the U S Army, serving in Vietnam. He left the service due to wartime injuries which he carried with him the rest of his life. Military awards included a Purple Heart, three Bronze Stars with Oak Leaf Clusters, a Silver Service Star, Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60 Device of Gallantry, National Defense Service Medal, four O/S Bars and Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.
He moved to Aurora, Colorado, where in the spring of 1974 he met his future wife, Jeanette and her son Chad. It was love at first sight for both of them. He and Jeanette leased and operated the Sandtrap Restaurant and Bar and the S.O.S. Motel. During this time they had two daughters, Elizabeth and Catherine. Gary went back to school in 1990, graduating from Denver University and Metro State College Denver with degrees in Accounting and Computer Information Systems, Cum Laude, GPA’s 3.8/4.0. He earned his CPA in 1994 and began working for the Internal Revenue Service from which
he retired in 2015.
After retirement he was an avid gardener and glued-to-the-TV AVs hockey fan. He never missed a Broncos game. He loved spending time with his family, especially adored his four grandchildren, as exhibited by the zip line he and his son-in-law installed in the back yard. He was a wonderful cook and always felt the importance of feeding people and sharing food. For each and every family gathering he prepared exceptional meals and would always say, “It’s fuel, not food.” Gary cherished his home and loved everyone who entered his door. He was an incredibly humble and private man who could make a
person feel like they were part of an inside joke between he and them. And so through those private exchanges, he was showing his respect for you. He was also an exceptional linguist being familiar with and/or fluent in Cambodian, Thai, Vietnamese, and some of the Romance languages. He was helping his oldest granddaughter, Kilah, with her Japanese Kanji.
Mr. Black is survived by his wife Jeanette, his stepson Chad (Brenda Christopher), his two girls Elizabeth (Ben Osborn) and Catherine (Branden Braun), his four grandchildren Kilah, Kai, Lillian and Chloe, and his many friends whom he also considered part of his family.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that donations are made in honor of Richard Gary Black, Jr., to either of the following:
The Epworth Children’s Home, P. O. Box 50466, Columbia, S.C. 29250
Citadel Foundation, 171 Moultre St., Charleston, S.C. 29401
Identify checks in honor of Richard Gary Black, Jr.
Service were held privately.
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