KENNETH JAMES BLACK

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KENNETH JAMES BLACK Kenneth James Black died on August 11, 2007, at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto from complications following pneumonia. Loving husband of Mary, who predeceased him in 1976, a devoted father to Amy and grandfather to Theo Brooke, born August 2006; he was adored by Amy, Theo and son-in-law Stephen Brooke. He will be greatly missed by all his family from Winnipeg: brother-in-law Alfred Kaye, nephews and nieces John, Kathie, Gordon and Jeanne Kaye; great-nieces and great-nephews Liz, Cameron, Donna, Michael, and Michele Kaye, Michael Purves-Smith and Robert Pohl. His sister-in-law Marjorie Black, nieces and nephew Cathy, Diane, and Norm Black, great-nephew Gregory Black and great-niece Jacqueline Black, cousins Michel Jones, Stephen and Stuart Thursby, Wendy and Bill Krever, and Natalie Coyle were all dear members of his family in Ontario. Ken was also a much loved and caring uncle to niece Nicola Ivanovic, nephews David and Neil Chapman, great-nieces Natasha and Isabella Ivanovic and Jessica Chapman, all of Merseyside, England; he was a cherished brother-in-law to Rosemarie Chapman and Dennis Chapman, also of Merseyside. His sister, Elizabeth, and brothers Ralph and Arthur predeceased him, as did his nieces Jacqueline Black and Margaret Kaye. Ken's strong sense of loyalty and fun animated a wide circle of friends in Canada and in England over his entire life. Ken was born in Winnipeg on May 10, 1924, the youngest of Norman and Margaret Black's four children. He attended the University of Manitoba and served in the Royal Canadian Navy in corvettes during the Second World War. After the war, he became a journalist, first working at the Winnipeg Free Press and the Winnipeg Tribune then spending time in Europe and England for Reuters. In 2006, he published a memoir of his adventures during and after the war entitled Telling It Like It Was. He joined the CBC in 1957 where he worked in radio and television for over 35 years, in London, England, St John's, Newfoundland and Toronto. After his retirement he dedicated himself to his many interests, including travelling, writing, neighbourhood activism, birdwatching and holding his legendary annual Victoria Day Party. Every summer Ken made a trip to the family cottage at Victoria Beach, engaging his friends there in an annual Scrabble competition, which he delighted in portraying as the board game equivalent of the Stanley Cup. His witty accounts of the battle for the Elk Island Trophy were published each summer in the Victoria Beach Herald under the pseudonym K. Nero. Ken brought an unrivalled joy to life and touched everyone he met with this enthusiasm and with his charm and humour. He was a true gentleman, but with a wry and sometimes mischievous outlook. Ken had the gift of treating everyone with the same gracious manner. As the countless guests to his house will attest, he was the soul of hospitality. He was as happy playing with children as entertaining adults and will be remembered by a number of generations as the delightful pirate king, always ready with wind-up toys, kites, stories and songs. His interests were eclectic, but they were bound together by an unceasing curiosity and energy. Ken was the cherished heart of a number of social worlds and families. He will be sorely missed. A memorial service will be held on Friday, August, 17, 2007, at 3:00 p.m. at Enoch Turner Schoolhouse, 106 Trinity Street (one block east of Parliament, just south of King Street East, Toronto). In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ken's memory to the Bruce Trail Association.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 15, 2007