Richard Glynn Black

DR. RICHARD GLYNN BLACK, was born on August 16, 1928, in Walkerville, Ontario Canada, to the late Archibald H. Black and Ruth E. Glynn. He departed this life on August 30th 2014, at his home in Sugar Land, Texas.

In his youth, he helped his father repairing and rebuilding watches at the family’s jewelry business. While working with his father he discovered that he had a natural talent for understanding and repairing complex mechanisms. This drive for knowledge led Richard to start dismantling anything mechanical or electrical in his parent’s house and rebuilding them to fulfill his curiosity.

As he matured his interest in mechanics led him to a Bachelor of Science in the field of Electrical Engineering at the University of Toronto in 1954. This degree led him to adventures such as installing radio towers in the Arctic Circle, and developing submarine radio communication for the Canadian Army. His interest in how the world worked shifted from machines to humans when he enrolled in the University of Toronto Medical School. When he graduated medical school in 1960, he proceeded with residencies in neurological surgery in Toronto and Vancouver.

In 1964, he earned an academic position in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Washington Medical Center.

In 1967, he met Dr. John Bonica, the founding father of pain management, and was recruited for an academic position at his Pain Clinic at the University of Washington. While there, he also completed his residency in Anesthesiology.

It’s within the field of Anesthesiology and Chronic Pain that Richard flourished writing several books on the subject and contributing to countless innovations within the field.

In 1977, Richard moved to Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, to become co-director of the Pain Treatment Center. He was also given the position of Chief of Regional Anesthesiology and Pain Services, Department of Anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins University.

In 1987, Richard was recruited by the University of Texas Medical Center to establish a chronic pain clinic. Until his retirement in 1997, Richard dedicated his knowledge of pain management towards relieving the suffering of cancer patients at M D Anderson Cancer Center.

When he retired in 1997, Richard was able to dedicate his time to the passion he shared with his family for exploring life under the sea. Along with his wife, Mary Ann and his son, David, they traveled extensively to distinctive scuba diving locations throughout the Caribbean. His passion for travelling and adventure continued throughout the rest of his life with his son, David.

Richard believed that “I am still learning”, {Michelangelo}, and that time spent teaching and learning is never lost. He had many interests such as scuba diving, computers, photography, repairing and restoring mechanical and electrical devices. He was an avid reader and collected many books. He was a devoted husband and father.

Richard is survived by his wife, Mary Ann; his children, Stephan, Sigrid, Martin, and David; and his grandchildren, Michael and Spencer.

A Memorial Service honoring Richard’s life will be held at The Settesgast-Kopff Co. at Sugar Creek, 15015 Southwest Freeway, Sugar Land, Texas 77478, from 2-4pm, Saturday, September 6th 2014.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Science Friday Intiative, http://sciencefriday.com/ 212-840-2244.