Lyman H. Black, Jr.
January 20, 1923 – March 15, 2013
Recently, when our mom said to dad “what will I do if you drop dead in the garden?” he replied “Be happy for me!” On March 15, 2013 Lyman Black passed away in his garden. He was 90 years old.
The second child of Lyman H. Black and Marion Lewis Black, Lyman graduated Lakeside School as co- valedictorian and quarterback of the football team. He graduated from Yale in 1943 and joined the Navy as a submariner. He and Liz met at 16 and 15 and were in love for 69 years.
After the war, Lyman worked for Seattle’s Black Manufacturing Company, eventually as president. In 1968, Lyman was active in Urban Renewal initiatives of the “Forward Thrust” propositions, successful at passing bonds for low income housing and parks. He was past president and Honorary Lifetime Board Member of the Children’s Home Society of Washington.
Above all, Lyman loved Bainbridge Island. He sounded all of Eagle Harbor at 10 years old in his home-made dinghy. He pruned and fell out of trees, nurtured Rhododendrons, fruit trees, ferns, bonsai, and really anything that looked vaguely green. He rototilled into the dead of night. He fell out of more trees. For 13 years Lyman acted in the Bainbridge Light Opera Association. Among his favorites he played the clueless foreigner in “Brigadoon,” and, as the King in “The King and I” he had a full head of black hair.
Lyman built boats, ferried to work daily and when he couldn’t wait for the BNSF train to move, jumped onto the train and off on the other side to get to his car faster; he walked off of ferries forgetting his car on board, or distracted, ended up in Bremerton. He slung chickens at NW Harvest, imported alarming Yugoslavian 3-wheeled mopeds to save gas, was Deacon and Elder of the Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church. He and neighborhood fathers shot July 4th fireworks on the beach from 8” tubes and didn’t lose his arms; and he rescued stranded sailors off of Wing Point and made them lovely lunches as they waited for the tide to come back in.
Lyman’s 4:45 a.m. daily devotions, unremitting exercise, and weekly counseling sessions with people who needed his helping hand, his ministry, filled his heart with delight.
He was handsome and romantic and in love with his God, his wife, his daughters, and his beagle Jiggy (pretty much in that order.) He died in his garden just as his father had. And we are happy for him.
Lyman is survived by his wife, Elizabeth, his daughters Lynn, Susan, and Marnie, son-in-law John Cooper; his sister Janet Wegener grandchildren Morgan and Jonathan, and great grandchildren Kayla, Madison, London and Clara.
A short service will be held at the Rolling Bay Presbyterian Church on April 10, 2013 between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.
TRIBUTE Paid Notice
