- Date Of Death: September 2, 2016
- State: New York
On Friday, September 2, 2016, Mr. Phenious Watson Black, otherwise known as John Black, departed this life. He was born in New York, February 24, 1933. He was born to Mabel Thompson and Watson Phenious Black.
Mr. Black was raised in Harlem and later enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1952, where he toured Europe playing basketball. His love for basketball started from his uncle Robert “Bob” Douglas, founder of the New York Renaissance (RENS) basketball team, who was also nicknamed the “Father of Negro Professional Basketball”. After the Army, Mr. Black worked as a butcher in the Meat District, and later became the Athletic Director for Trinity Church, Chapel of the Intercession. As the Athletic Director, Mr. Black coached basketball and baseball to neighborhood youth, where he enforced sportsmanship, mentored and forested strong academics, integrity, and taught humility.
Mr. Black also coached at Riverside Church, worked as a referee for SUBOA, NY Basketball Referee Association, and was a security supervisor for Flag Security.
Mr. Black was well known and respected in the community. He influenced comradery among his teammates which showed when playing in other basketball conferences. Mr. Black could not walk the streets of the neighborhood without someone saying “Yo Mr. Black”. During the Battleground reunions, Mr. Black was always greeted by former players, which all gave great gratitude by having Mr. Black in their lives. Mr. Black influenced players that played in Ruckers and City-Wide tournaments.
Mr. Black was married to Yvonne Gwendolyn Golston from Batesburg, SC. They had three daughters, Renee, Darlene, and Cherie. Mr. Black later married Victoria Lorick. They had two daughters, Helen and Melinda.
Mr. Black leaves behind two sisters, Sadie Molloy, and Carol Megget, five daughters, three son-in-laws Kirk Nielsen, William Hawley, and Lee Smith, eight grandchildren, Jaclyn, Danielle, and Jonathan Nielsen, Janay Hawley, Jovan and Stefan Black-Smith, Christian Black, and Kiana Lacey, great grandchildren Jaiquan Nielsen, Cameron, and Khane Shields, and a host of other relatives and friends.
