News and Reports
News Release
Raymond Jones "Ray J" Black Jr.
1929-2007
Published in the Las Cruces Sun-News on 12/13/2007
Raymond Jones Black, Jr., of Las Cruces, died at home on Thursday, December 6, 2007 after a long cardiac illness. He was born in Casa Grande, AZ on March 13, 1929, and moved to Las Cruces in 1950 to attend college. He grew up in Douglas, AZ but moved while in high school to Elkhart, IN. In 1946 he joined the Navy in order to benefit from the GI Bill of Rights then in effect for World War II Veterans. After completing his tour of duty, he bought a car and drove to Las Cruces and registered as a freshman at NMSU and achieved a Bachelor and Master of Science in Electrical Engineering and a Master of Science and Engineer's Degree from Stanford University.
He devoted his life to teaching in the US Navy and in the Dept. of Electrical Engineering at NMSU as a graduate assistant, instructor, assistant professor, associate professor and professor emeritus. He retired in 1989 after 36 years with the university.
Ray was a near-genius at electronics, and many of his former students have visited and called him in testimony of his effectiveness as a teacher. Soon after arriving on the college campus in 1950, Ray met Kathryn Gibbs, already a student at the college, and two years later, on August 16th 1952 they were married at St. Genevieve's Catholic Church with Father David Kirgan officiating. After 55 years, their marriage ended only with his death.
In the summer of 1974 Ray was sent to the Instituto Tecnologico in Chihuahua, Mexico, to teach a six-week graduate electronics course for teachers from various technical institutes throughout Mexico. This was the beginning of their 'family'. Over the course of the next six years, and for various lengths of time, they were to have six young Mexican men live with them in their home in Las Cruces so each young man could earn a master's degree at NMSU. Each relationship became a bond of parent and son in a way hard to explain but it happened very easily, and over the years Ray and Kathryn have felt humble and fortunate as they have seen their family grow with children and grandchildren.
Ray's favorite hobby as a child was model airplane building and flying, and led to his long-time membership of the Mesilla Valley Model Airplane Club, among others. Interested in history, both he and Kathryn were members of the Rio Grande Historical Collections, the Dona Ana County Historical Society and were active in the Oral History Club of Las Cruces for several years before illness intervened.
As an animal lover, Ray made sure their home was never without a pet. Many hours during his last illness were spent with his favorite dog beside him. On September 8th, 2004 Ray suffered a severe heart attack followed by quadruple by-pass surgery. Though he recovered fairly well, within a year his weak heart began to curtail his activities. On October 30, 2006 Roberto Garcia with Coordinated Home Health became Ray's caregiver. In the months before his death, Ray would be in and out of the hospital.
On September 6th, 2007, Ray was baptized in the Catholic Church and was given the last rites by long time friend Monsignor Bob Getz. Ray was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond and Jane Black; infant brother, Royal Black; cousins Jimmy Black and Johnny Black; parents-in-law Charles and Katherine Gibbs. Ray is survived by his loving wife; sisters-in-law, Rita Smith of Las Cruces and Alice Coats and husband Bo of Belen; by nieces and nephews; by cousins Bobby and Betty Black of San Angelo, TX, Georgia and Robert Jamison and Betty Christall of Fort Stockton, TX; Paten and Gwen Black of Clovis, NM; Ida Mae Black of Kerrville, TX; also cousins John and Teresa Schultz and Mary Jane and Nancy Turpin of Elkhart, IN; children of all these. Surviving also are four godchildren, Bobby Pavelka of Alamogordo, Laila Rico of Alpine, TX, Alejandro Vasquez Del Mercado of El Paso, Dawn Autry; as well as other relatives and friends. Also, his special Mexican families survive: Willie and Lily Rico of Las Cruces; Tony and Pepina Mireles of El Paso, TX; Pancho and Lupita Teran of Chihuahua; Carlos and Celina Gonzalez of Monterrey; and Guillermo and Sylvia Medina of Chihuahua. One Mexican son, Jesus Vasquez Del Mercado, predeceased Ray earlier this year and the widow Rosa Emma of Chihuahua continues in his place. Also surviving is Ray's loving caregiver Roberto Garcia of Las Cruces, who cared for "Mr. Ray" for 402 days without missing a day. Roberto was invited to join the others as a son and brother in this special family.
Cremation has taken place with inurnment of ashes to be on Saturday, December 15, 2007 at St. Albert the Great Newman Center. A memorial gathering after the first of the year will be announced later where friends and family can join in remembrance of Ray's life. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ray J. Black Memorial Endowment in Electrical Engineering, c/o NMSU Foundation, P.O. Box 3590, Las Cruces NM 88003-3590; or to a favorite charity.