Gary R. Black Sr., 78, of Park Hills died Feb. 19, 2024. Mr. Black was raised in Flat River, now Park Hills, and was a 1963 graduate of Flat River High School. It was there that he lettered in track, basketball and football. He played saxophone and guitar in several bands including The Dauphins, Gary and the Black Outs, The Majestics and The MoJos. He later joined Local 2-197 Musicians Association and played gigs throughout the Midwest. He attended Flat River Junior College and taught and coached at Belleview R-3 and Athena R-8 school districts. He then earned a bachelor’s degree in education in 1966 from the University of Missouri St. Louis and taught and coached at Festus R-6 Junior High. While enrolled at South Texas College of Law in Houston, he worked full-time as a deputy sheriff/tac officer for the Harris County Sheriff's Office. He later was an investigator for the Texas Attorney General's Office. He graduated with a juris doctorate in 1974 and returned to Flat River to join his uncle, the late Robert McIlrath, at McIlrath & Black Law Firm. He was elected circuit judge of the 24th Judicial Circuit in 1975 and was the youngest circuit judge ever elected in the state. He held many other positions including paralegal, over-the-road truck driver and salesman. He also was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church of Park Hills. Born Sept. 4, 1945, in North Little Rock, Ark., he was the oldest son of the late William E. and Lena Ruth (Matkin) Black.
He is survived by four children: Gary R. (Jenny) Black Jr. of Bloomfield, Colo., Nancy A. (John) Wood of Tel Aviv, Israel, Walter (Bonnie) Black of New Braunfels, Texas, and Kelly Black of St. Louis; three brothers: Andrew L. (Pam) Black of Mineral Point, William L. Black of Farmington and John E. Black of Park Hills; a sister: Amy S. (Jim) Watkins of Park Hills; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; four nephews: Todd (Jennifer) Watkins, Matt (Chelsea) Watkins, John Thomas "JT" (Karen) Black and Jordan (Jaimie) Black; his significant other: Becky Lowry of Hillsboro; and the mother of his children: Georgia Black of Festus.
Funeral services will be private.