Dr. James D. Black

Dr. James D. Black, 85, passed away on February 26, 2026, at his residence in Terre Haute, Indiana.

James was born on September 19, 1940, in Chicago, Illinois, to Milton J. and Gladys E. Black. He spent his childhood in Evansville, Indiana, and graduated from Benjamin Bosse High School in 1958. He attended undergraduate school at Indiana University from 1958 to 1961 before entering the University of Louisville School of Dentistry, where he earned his Doctor of Medical Dentistry (DMD) degree in 1965.

Dr. Black served as an officer in the U.S. Public Health Service from 1965 to 1968. In 1968, he entered private general practice in Tell City, where he faithfully served the community for 40 years before retiring in 2008. He was a lifetime member of the American and Indiana Dental Associations and the First District. In addition to his dental career, he actively participated in the management of the family-owned Black Equipment Co. Inc. of Evansville for many years, serving as Vice President until 1999.

An avid and passionate golfer, Dr. Black was a longtime member of Hoosier Heights Country Club. He also shared a deep love of fly fishing with his wife, and together they spent many cherished years fishing trout rivers across Montana, Idaho, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Missouri.

He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Carol; his son, Brian Black and grandsons Mason and Kanon of Great Falls, Montana; his daughter, Kristy Rightley (Vaughn) and granddaughter Olivia of Terre Haute, Indiana; as well as numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews in Indiana and Florida.

In addition to his parents, James was preceded in death by his sister, Susan Bonnell.

Visitation will be held from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, and from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday at Zoercher-Gillick Funeral Home.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, at St. Paul Catholic Church, with Fr. Tony Hollowell officiating. Entombment will follow at Alexander Memorial Gardens in Evansville, Indiana.

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul Catholic Church or the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.

Condolences may be left online at zoercher-gillickfuneralhome.com.

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