Delano Black's Obituary
Delano Black, aged 86, died on January 30, 2024, following a courageous battle with dementia. A native of DeWitt, Arkansas, Delano was an Assistant Professor in the Biology Department at the University of Memphis for more than 35 years, with a particular focus on the subspecialties of botany and microbiology, specifically mushrooms and other fungi. For the last 20 years of his tenure at the university, Delano also served as the Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, where he tirelessly raised money for improvements at the university, and especially for the university’s Department of Music. In that position, he brought many programs of excellence to the university, such as the Nobel Laureates lecture series and regular visits from Actors From The London Stage.
Delano grew up on a dairy farm, and the farm habits of hard work and his country strength lasted a lifetime. The first in his family to graduate high school, Delano earned his undergraduate degree from Hendrix College in Conway, Arkansas, where he played center on the football team, in an era before face masks. He served in the National Guard in Arkansas and was federalized along with the rest of the Arkansas National Guard in 1957 during the integration of Little Rock Central High School.
At Hendrix, Delano met the love of his life, Lynette Cook of Little Rock. They married on Christmas Day in 1962. Delano and Lynette then embarked on their further higher education journey, each earning Master’s Degrees from the University of Arkansas and doctorate degrees from the University of Nebraska, before settling in Memphis. It is believed they were the only professor couple at the University of Memphis to boast of the Hendrix College/University of Arkansas/University of Nebraska pedigree. This past Christmas Day, they celebrated 61 years of marriage, in the company of their children and grandchildren.
Throughout his life, Delano devoted countless hours to making his community better through acts of service and leadership, often in furtherance of activities his children were interested in. Thus, for example, he founded and for many years led the Suzuki Talent Education Association of Memphis for the training of young violinists, chaired the board of the Memphis Youth Symphony Orchestra, and served on the board of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. Following his retirement from the university, Delano was a regular and enthusiastic member of the University of Memphis Association of Retirees.
Delano also served his church, Idlewild Presbyterian, in many positions over more than 50 years of church membership: Deacon and Elder, tenor in the choir, Sunday School teacher, and coach to several youth sports teams. He was a driving force behind numerous fundraising efforts to enrich the musical life of the church, most notably the 1988 installation of the current sanctuary pipe organ and the 1999 completion of the carillon, topped off by the raising of the massive bell sounding tenor C. The fruits of these efforts ring daily over the greater Midtown area.
Delano enjoyed gardening and otherwise tending the soil, a daily swim during the warmer months, walking his neighborhoods, and an afternoon gin and tonic to nail down the day. He was a lover of good food, and the expression on his face when presented with a banana pudding or a creme brûlée was pure joy. He routinely made a healing chicken gumbo when any family member felt sick, including, famously, when his sister, Jean, recovered from heart disease in the early 1970s after consuming gumbo in the hospital. He also enjoyed a good fried bologna sandwich on a Saturday morning, with the bologna appropriately charred and a generous spread of yellow mustard.
A memorial service to celebrate Delano’s life will be held at Idlewild Presbyterian Church at 2:00 p.m. on March 23, 2024.
Delano is survived by Lynette and by his children, Dylan Black of Dallas, Texas, and Leslie Black of Pasadena, California; daughter-in-law Mindy Black; and grandchildren Sebastian Black of Birmingham, Alabama, Eliza Black of Los Angeles, California, and Emma Black of Pasadena. They are grateful for his life and that he is in a better place now. You would honor Delano’s memory by planting something in the ground and helping it grow, telling an outrageously funny story, laughing loud and long with your friends and family, or hanging a spoon from your nose. For those so inclined, you could also honor Delano with a gift to Idlewild Presbyterian Church in Memphis, Tennessee; the Department of Music at the University of Memphis; or the charity of your choice.
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