December 3, 2006

Paul Dwight Black 
The Norman Transcript Sun Dec 03, 2006, 11:30 PM CST 

Paul Dwight Black, 50, of Norman died Saturday, Dec. 2, in a plane crash in Norman. A Memorial Service will be 2 p.m. Tuesday at Havenbrook Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend Mike Bumgarner officiating. Services are under the direction of Havenbrook Funeral Home of Norman.

Mr. Black was born Feb. 8, 1956 Des Moines, Iowa, to Mary Ward Black and Eugene "Gene" Black. His family moved to Norman in 1968, when he was 12.

Mr. Black attended West Mid-High, Norman High School, graduating in 1974. He earned a bachelor's degree in Science in Electrical Engineering in 1978 from the University of Oklahoma.

Mr. Black married Peggy Ann Tubbs Jan. 7, 1978. The couple were life partners in a variety of projects, including building a log home near Norman along with the help of many friends and family members. They had two sons, Aaron Anthony Black, of New York City, born in 1979, and Michael Christopher Black, of Wichita, Kansas, born in 1982.

Mr. Black loved his family and family gatherings above all else, family said. His family includes his sister, the Rev. Julia Price of Wenatchee, Washington and her husband Barry, daughter Mary, and son Roger; brother Grant Black of Broken Arrow and his wife, Diane, son Garrett and daughter Jennifer and brother Glen Black of Norman and his wife, Shari. He also had a sister, Mary Elizabeth, who died in infancy. Mr. Black is survived by many aunts, uncles and cousins.

Family said Mr. Black loved his in-laws as his own family. This second family include his mother-in-law Melba Lloyd and her husband John; sister-in-law Susan Battershell of Chickasha and her husband Jerry; son Brian Battershell, his wife Misti, children Brayden and Bailey and daughter Jana DuBord and her husband Ryan, daughter Lexi and soon-to-be-born son; sister-in-law Marilyn Phillips and her husband, Terry, and sons Kelly, Ryan, and Sean Teeples, and Jake Meckley; brother-in-law Arlie Tubbs and his wife, Linda, daughter Mary Daniels and her husband Grant, daughter Samantha Stephens and son Cory; and son John Tubbs and his wife Sheina, daughter Trinity and son Tyler; brother-in-law Charles Tubbs and his wife April, and daughter Lauren and sons Cameron and Colby; and sister-in-law Nancy Peterson and her husband, Randy, son Connor, and daughter Nicki. Mr. Black was particularly close to his father-in-law, A.L. Tubbs, who died in 1995.

Mr. Black worked as an electrical engineer and engineering manager with a variety of companies, beginning with Boeing, Wichita, from 1978 to 1979. In the Norman and Oklahoma City area he worked for TOTCO, Tinker AFB, SEMCO, Hitachi, Burford Corporation, and DME. He was presently employed with METI, a contracting agency based at the FAA in Oklahoma City.

Mr. Black always loved working on home projects, from rebuilding Triumph sports cars and radio controlled airplanes to more recently helping to build and upholster his friends' home built airplanes, family said. He was elated about returning to flying in small airplanes and took advantage of his friends' offers to fly along at any opportunity.

The family requests memorial donations be made to the Norman Public School Foundation at 131 S. Flood, Norman, OK 73069.