On Friday, September 18, 2026 our family, a father, a grandfather, and our family's hero. Born July 15, 1940 in Queens, New York to the late Abraham & Rose (Wolkenfeld) Black of blessed memory, he grew up in an era of uncertainty- never losing the quality to love thy neighbor and treat others as you want to be treated.
Lt. Colonel Black served in the United States Army as an Army Ranger for thirty years and retired from service as a Lieutenant Colonel of the 75th regiment.
A graduate of Columbia University with both his undergraduate and master’s degree, he went on to work in computer engineering with his own business and later in computer security with the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel. My grandfather was the life of a dinner party. Sharing stories from his time in Vietnam, growing up in Queens, travels abroad, and discussions over films and television. He loved movies, westerns, historical adaptions, and anything centered on the Vietnam War.
His favorite movie was Casablanca, starring Humphrey Bogart. He could quote whole scenes as if he was starring in the movie himself. He had such presence when recalling and quoting scenes from his favorite movies. He introduced me to the film when I was seventeen years old. Shortly after, I too fell in love with classic films and the TCM channel. He used to tell me of times when he and his friends would play a game of guessing the movie only by the quote. I surprised him once by knowing the quote from “The Lion in Winter”. He asked how I knew that movie, to which I said you showed me the TCM channel. We shared a hearty laugh. And that is what made my grandfather special. His ability to find human connection through laughter.
He loved to cook, and he loved to travel. A lover of pasta, he always called himself a Sicilian at heart, for he loved red-sauce pasta. The only exception he made to red sauce pasta was linguine and clams.
An avid traveler all his life, he loved to cruise the most. Cruising with my grandpa was the best. He would eat burgers and crack jokes with us, then at dinner, he would regale us with stories of his life in the Army, how he outsmarted some of his professors, and so much more. He was a story teller and a lover of a lived experience. He was an intelligent man with a large depth of emotional connection. He could share a laugh with just about anyone. And his laugh had the power to bring a whole room together. His laugh and his smile were infectious, and we cling to his favorite jokes in this moment of solace for my family.
Lt. Colonel Black is survived by his wife, Thelma (McIntosh) Black, daughter Stacey Lewis, and his three granddaughters, Arianna Rose Lewis, Annaliese Taylor Lewis, and Abigail Madison Lewis
Funeral Service for Lt. Colonel Black will be 11:00 AM, Thursday, September 24, 2026 in the chapel of Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel with Rabbi Jeff Chaitoff of Vitas Hospice officiating. Interment will follow at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery in Mims, Florida with military honors.
Service entrusted to Beth Shalom Memorial Chapel, Suite 101, Orlando, Florida 407-599-1180.
