Clara O'Keeffe Black

Clara O’Keeffe Black, 92, passed away Thursday, May 26, 2022. A long-time resident of Tallahassee, Clara was born on June 29, 1929 in Atlanta Georgia, to John Eustace and Willie Belle (Cherry) O’Keeffe. She was a proud Bulldog, a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority, graduating Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Georgia in 1950. She enjoyed the time she spent working executing technical specs and drawings for wind-tunnel testing in a precursor to the space program. While at Georgia, she met her beloved husband, Homer A. Black, to whom she was married for 56 years before his death in 2008. She supported his academic career at several universities before they arrived in Tallahassee in 1954 and made it their forever home. Homer’s academic career took them on extended sojourns teaching at FSU programs abroad, including a year in Switzerland and a year in London. These trips sparked a love of travel, which took them on many trips all over the U.S. and the world. One of her many gifts was making friends wherever she went, and she maintained a world-wide network of cherished friends. In Tallahassee, she was a volunteer at Tallahassee Memorial as a “pink lady” in the nursery, as a docent at the Governor’s Mansion and Goodwood Plantation, and was an active participant in the Tallahassee Junior League and the Garden Club of Tallahassee. An avid quilter and past president of Tallahassee’s Quilters Unlimited, her artistry and love of beauty was deeply appreciated by the family and friends worldwide who were wrapped in “a blanket of love” when they received the gift of one of her quilts for special occasions. She delighted in entertaining, and decades of Homer’s hungry graduate students were fed in her dining room. Her love of flowers spilled over into a wonderful garden at their home on North Ride, and she spent many years perfecting her flower arranging skills with the Altar Guild at Church of the Advent, as well as serving as their wedding coordinator. She has been a faithful and enthusiastic member of St. Peter’s Anglican Church since 2005. She never met a stranger, and adored her growing family. Her favorite times included the entire family coming together during summers at Big Canoe, GA, where she loved organizing numerous family reunions for their extended families and beating her entire family regularly at Scrabble. The daily crossword puzzle and a cup of Typhoo tea was, for her, the perfect start to a busy day. More recently, she was an active participant in many activities at Westminster Oaks, where she had been making her home since 2006. She is survived by her three children, Douglas O’Keeffe Black (Dede) and Margaret Black Groves (Dave) of Tallahassee, and William Homer Black (Diane) of Sandy Springs, GA, as well as grandchildren Davis Groves, Shannon Groves, John Groves, and Becca Black of Tallahassee, Katie Noble (Travis) of Dothan, AL, Michael Black (Ali) of Alexandria, VA, Catherine Evans (Josh) of Woodstock, GA and great-grandson Parker Evans. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 4th at 12 noon at St. Peter’s Anglican Church, 4784 Thomasville Rd, Tallahassee, FL, with reception to follow at the church. In lieu of flowers, per her request, donations in her memory may be made to St. Peter’s Anglican Church Mission Fund. A private interment at Roselawn Cemetery will be held at a later date. Todd Wahlquist with Bevis Funeral Home (850-385-2193, www.bevisfh.com) is assisting the Black family with their arrangements.

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Clara O'Keeffe Black

June 29, 1929 - May 26, 2022