Chester D. Black

Chester Dunlap Black was born in Scotland County, Missouri in 1929 to Adrian Crawford Black and Ruby Dunlap Black. He was raised on the family farm and educated in the local schools and graduated from Scotland County High School at the age of 16. He graduated from the University of Missouri with a BS in Agriculture. He remained in Columbia to receive an MS degree. He enlisted in the US Navy. After his honorable discharge he took a job as an assistant county agent, living in Macon and Palmyra, Missouri. He rose in the Agricultural Extension Service to full county agent status. In 1966, he took his family halfway across the US to NC State University to pursue his doctorate. Upon receiving his PhD, the family returned to Missouri, where he took over the Area Director’s job for a ten county district centered around Jefferson City. After only a year, North Carolina called to make him State 4H leader. He loved working with the 4Hers taking them yearly to the national convention in Chicago. He was promoted to Associate and Assistant Director before taking the Director’s position in 1982. As Director he oversaw the computerization and linking of all 100 counties into one system, gave additional emphasis to the 4H program and championed continued education for all Extension employees. He retired from the Extension service in 1989 but became a part-time professor at NCSU and a member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Land Bank of Columbia.

He married Lucy Kathryn Windsor on July 26, 1952. They had three children, Linda Black, Kevin Black (Rachel), and Ronald Black (Tammy). He is survived by five grandchildren: James Black (Alex); Victoria Black (Leif Skillrud); William Vaughn; Thomas Black; and Adrian Black. He had three great grandchildren: Lorelei and Benjamin Black; and Chester “Chet” Skillrud, who was proudly named after his great grandpa. He is survived by his sister Adrianna Briggs(Gary), of Memphis, MO.

He was a longtime member of West Raleigh Presbyterian Church, serving as a deacon, elder and Clerk of the Session. He and Lucy traveled to six continents including extended trips to Costa Rica, Brazil and China. He was a fan of the NC State Wolfpack and season ticket holder. He and Lucy loved antique furniture and china. He was an ardent advocate of education and continuous learning. For the last sixteen years of his life, he resided at the Glenaire Retirement Community in Cary where he excelled at billiards, winning several competitions, and continued his religious studies.

He is a member of the National 4H Hall of Fame, an inaugural member of the North Carolina Legends of Extension, the recipient of the Ruby Award from Epsilon Sigma Phi (considered to be the highest award for Extension personnel), a former News and Observer Tar Heel of the Week, and has received numerous other awards for his long years of service. But his proudest titles were husband, father, grandpa, and great grandpa.

Visitation will be at Brown-Wynne Cary on Monday, August 12th from 6-8 pm. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, August 13th at West Raleigh Presbyterian Church at 2 pm. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorials be made to the church at 27 Horne Street - Raleigh, NC 27607.

Memorial tributes and messages can be left by clicking the "Add a Memory" below. Brown Wynne of Cary is honored to service the Black Family.