Evan J Black

Evan J Black, of Jonesboro and Atlanta, Georgia, passed away peacefully on March 16, 2024, age 79. Born on June 28, 1944, he was the son of Joseph Black and Flora Collins Black.

Evan graduated from Ben Lomond High School in Ogden, Utah, where he excelled in debate and wrestling. He attended the University of Utah on a Naval R.O.T.C. scholarship, graduating in 1966 with a Bachelor of Science in political science with a certificate in international relations. Evan was commissioned an ensign in the U.S. Navy and entered active duty, attending flight training and becoming a Naval Aviator. In the Navy, he served as an instructor pilot and also flew anti-submarine reconnaissance combat missions in the P-3 Orion. After the Vietnam War, Evan worked as a test pilot for Hayes International.

In the 1970s, he began a career as an air traffic controller at Atlanta Center in Hampton, settling in the Lake Spivey Community in Clayton County. While working full-time as an air traffic controller on a rotating shift schedule, Evan earned his Juris Doctor, cum laude, from John Marshall Law School in 1981. When he retired from federal service many years later, Evan opened his own law practice in Clayton County. His practice focused on representing deprived and neglected children in juvenile court proceedings as a contract attorney for the County. He also facilitated the adoption of many children in state custody into loving, healthy homes. He retired from practicing law at age 75.

Evan was an avid fan of the Atlanta Braves, a patron of the arts, and a supporter of many charities, including Planned Parenthood, the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Wounded Warrior Project. While at the FAA, he volunteered as the NATCA chapter president and union steward. He later served on the Board of the Lake Spivey Civic Association and presided as a pro tempore judge of the Clayton County Juvenile Court. He was a member of VFW Post 6330 in Jonesboro.

Evan loved playing cards, particularly bridge and poker, and was a member of many long-running games. He enjoyed fishing and taking friends out on his boat on Lake Spivey. He was a gifted cook, with a lively and irreverent sense of humor.

He was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved wife of thirty-five years, Sylvia Price Black.

He is survived by his sisters Elaine Black Burke and Karen Black Wolfe; his brother Bradley Black; his daughter Alana; his grandchildren Irene, Alexander, Gareth, and Fiona; and his devoted longtime companion Donna Burchfield.

An interment of ashes will take place at a later date at the Barrancas National Cemetery in Pensacola, Florida.