miracle of miracles, i actually found the notes that i wrote for the speech on dr. black. it was written in november of 2005.
"the older i get, the better i was!" this is a sign that still hangs in the office of a man who was known as the senior professor at angelo state university - dr. eldon u. black. just three short weeks ago dr. black died, leaving behind a rich legacy and a huge void. the loss is great not because dr. black invested so much time here at asu (51 years), although that in itself is amazing. the loss is great not because dr. black was the funniest man ever, although he could find the humor in any situation and often did. the loss is great because of one thing - dr. black's character. what was so great about dr. black was that he was always so approachable. he understood something that unfortunately some people never understand: the concept and practice of loving others. this was evident in the way that he treated others. he was never too busy to spend time with his colleagues and students, and he loved to treat people to a meal.
as a voice teacher, dr. black delighted in teaching his students how to sing. he was a constant encourager who brought out the best in his students. dr. black had many sayings, and there was one that he said every monday afternoon in master class. if someone sang a song in english, he would say in his deep voice, "you know, english is the hardest language to sing." it got to the point where everyone would just mouth along with him whenever he said it. but his students loved him as much as he loved them, and this was obvious by the number of former students who traveled to attend his funeral and pay their respects to this wonderful man.
dr. black was a man who loved God, loved others-including his pets-and loved to laugh. it is hard to imagine that we will never hear another joke, never hear another song, and never hear another laugh from him, but we know that he is in a better place. we will miss you, dr. black.
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