Charles Henry Black, 1926-2014

Charles Henry Black, 87, of Pacific Palisades, California, passed away on Saturday, April 19, with his two loving sons by his side, after a six-month battle with lung cancer.

Chuck was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on Sept. 12, 1926, the third child of the late Elfrida Elisabeth and Charles Henry Black.

Chuck graduated from Beverly Hills High School and received a B.A. in Business from the University of Southern California in 1950. Chuck was a part of our greatest generation, serving as a Captain in the US Naval Air Corps from 1944-1947.

Chuck had an extensive business career beginning in 1950 as a Manufacturing Engineer at Hughes Aircraft. In 1953 he became the Manager of Budgets at Lockheed Missiles and Space Division. In 1957, he moved to Litton Industries where he ultimately held the position of Corporate Vice President and Treasurer until 1980. Chuck left Litton to become the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Great Western Financial Corp, where he worked until 1982. From there he served as the Chief Financial Officer and Chairman of the Investment Committee for Kaiser Steel Corporation until 1985. From 1985 to 1987 Chuck was the Vice Chairman and Director of Pertron Controls Corporation. From 1987 to the present, Chuck served on numerous Boards of Directors, including the Pacific Stock Exchange, the Investment Company of America, Anworth Mortgage, and many others. Chuck was known by his business associates to be a class act and a man of true integrity.

Chuck was preceded in death by his loving wife Bonnie Nicksic. He is survived by his son Chuck Black and wife Valerie of Pacific Palisades, California; son Richard Black and wife Mandy of Greensboro, North Carolina; and his seven grandchildren, Christine, Kimberly, Chuck, Stephanie, Richard, Hutter, and Suejette. He is also survived by his step-children, Laura Reinert and Peter Branch.

Chuck was an avid world traveler, sailor, and skier, all of which he loved sharing with his wife Bonnie and his children and grandchildren. Chuck was also proud to be an Eagle Scout and a member of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity. He was a fine piano player and a lion for the Republican Party. He loved music, literature, and movies.

Chuck lived a full and exciting life marked by hard work and service to his community and his many friends. His honor and integrity will be remembered by all who knew him. Chuck truly lived life to the fullest and wanted others to honor his memory by doing the same.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. A new email account has been established for condolences and to let friends and family know when the details have been set for the Celebration of Chuck’s life. That email address is cblackmagic1@aol.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Phase One, a charity that sponsors phase one clinical trials for cancer treatment (www.phaseonefoundation.org), or to the Republican Party (www.gop.com).