WAUKESHA, Wis. – Robert E. Black, 80, of Waukesha, Wis., died July 1, 2012.
He was born near North Webster to Earl and Marguerite Black. In 1953, he married Gletha M. Bolinger, who survives.
He graduated from North Webster High School in 1949; enrolled at Manchester College, North Manchester; and graduated in 1953 with a bachelor’s degree and earned a master’s degree from Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tenn., in 1955. He was drafted into the U.S. Navy later that year. He served as a laboratory analyst at the Armed Services Medical Procurement Agency, Brooklyn, N.Y., and advanced to the rate of HM3. After Naval service, he held applied research and engineering jobs with four major corporations, published several technical articles and was granted four patents. His favorite job was at Rauland Division of Zenith Electronics, where he helped perfect night-vision devices for American forces to use in the Vietnam War. These same devices were also used in the first Iraq War 20 years later. He resumed working in his specialty, radiation safety, in 1983 at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wis. Later he became radiation safety officer at the Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, from which he retired in 1996. Beginning in 2009, he worked for several years as a part-time physics instructor at Sanford-Brown College, West Allis, Wis.
He was an active volunteer for the Republican Party and a certified Free Flight Contest Director for the Bong Eagles Model Airplane Club. He was dedicated to supporting many overseas missions, chief among them efforts in Tajikistan. He also respected and supported the work done by The Women’s Center of Waukesha.
He was a member of the Eternal Church, Elmbrook branch.
Also surviving are two daughters, Susan (and spouse Donald) Edwards, Austintown, Ohio, and Sally (and spouse Mark) Schultz, Delafield, Wis.; two sons, William (and spouse Kathy) Black, Pewaukee, Wis., and Christopher (and spouse Lonna) Black, Wichita, Kan.; grandchildren: Jonathon, Stephanie and Michelle Edwards, all of Youngstown, Ohio, and Lane, Taylor, Dana and Cara Schultz, all of Delafield. He was pre-deceased by his parents and a sister Peggy Darr.
Services will be at 4 p.m. Saturday at Elmbrook Church, 777 S. Barker Road, Brookfield. Burial will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery, Union Grove.
Calling is from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday at Church and Chapel Funeral Home, 380 Bluemound Road, Waukesha, Wis., and one hour prior to the service Saturday at the church. ***** Memorials may be made to Missions Fund, Elmbrook Church, Brookfield, Wis.
