John Douglas Black

John Douglas Black, 80, passed away on January 16, 2023, after a fall he suffered at home on January 1, 2023.  He was born on July 28, 1942, in St. Louis, MO to parents Longdon Rodgers Black and Florence (Osterhage) Black who preceded him in death.  Also preceding him in death were his step-father Clarence Hartley, brother Longdon Black, sister Barbara Ann Knolhoff; and his first wife, Sandra (Adams) Black.

John will be missed by many friends and family including his wife of 47 years, Ruth (Nichols) Black; brother Timothy Hartley (Dean); sons John Black, Jr. (Penny) and Maxwell Black (Jenny); daughters Tracey Meister and Whitney Scott  (Ben). He is also survived by 7 grandchildren; Joshua Black, Jennifer Kabat, Hilary Edwards, Preston and Garrett Meister, Marlee Scott, and Gibson Scott, and 6 great-grandchildren.

John spent 35 years in the insurance industry working for Kemper Insurance as a Field Claim Examiner which required frequent work-related travel.  He preferred being outside whenever possible, in fact, he was an early adaptor of the “remote work” model.  His schedule included 1-2 weeks of travel followed by equal remote work creating trip reports.  Weather permitting, those reports were recorded in the back yard.  Prior to Kemper John also worked at Purina in the St. Louis area. 

Growing up John was a sports enthusiast.  He enjoyed baseball, wrestling, golf, hockey, skiing, snowmobiling, basketball and football.  Because he had a passion for sports, John was dedicated to attending his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren's sporting & school events.  John was an avid tennis player, playing tennis at the South Bend Racquet Club or at Battell Park (Mishawaka) 2 - 3 times a week.

John was drawn to the great outdoors as well.  He enjoyed relaxing in the hot tub, cooling off in his son’s pool, sailing, fishing, and boating around Michigan City in his cabin cruiser.  John’s curiosity for learning was satisfied by reading the newspaper, novels and National Geographic; as well as exploring new restaurants and museums during work trips and family vacations.  His hobbies throughout the years included needle pointing, all things bird related, and grilling which inspired his homemade and wickedly delicious BBQ sauce.  John had a love-hate relationship with a variety of DYI home improvement projects he and Ruth completed over the years, but one of his favorite projects included building a backyard Koi pond.

In Lieu of flowers contributions can be made to the Sargent Road Nature Park https://donate.onecause.com/johndblack/donate

Sargent Road Nature Park. (EIN Number: 35-1941536)

C/O In memory of John D. Black

7399 N. Shadeland Ave. # 200.  Indianapolis, IN 46250

EIN Number: 35-1941536

More info about the Mudcreek Conservancy. https://www.mudcreekconservancy.org/sargent-road-nature-park