Mrs. Ruth Bell Black

Our beloved Ruth passed away peacefully after a brief illness on November 13th at the grand age of 100, in Lake Mary, Florida, where she resided with David and Marsha Avgikos, her youngest son and daughter-in-law. Their amazing care over the course of 14 years was one of the true blessings in her life, of which there were many. She was graced at the very end of her life with visits from her children and grand-children and was able to express her undying love to us all. Ruth was a woman of many qualities. She strove to lead a virtuous life, to always try to do the right thing, to tell the truth. She was never one to tout her own accomplishments or to put herself at the center of attention. Despite her modesty, she was an incredible pioneer (although she probably never gave herself sufficient credit for a lifetime of trail-blazing). As a young woman she studied secretarial science at her Aunt Ruth’s renowned Garner Business School in New Orleans and joined the professional workforce by her late teens. She was a “working mother” in the ‘50s and ‘60s, which was far from the norm in those days and, wondrously, juggled going to the office five days a week with fabulous homemaking skills and dedication to preparing healthy meals from scratch. When her first marriage ended in divorce, she met the challenge to reinvent her life and, to support her family, she brushed up on her stenographic skills and took a job in 1964 as the Court Reporter for Judge Morris Becnel in Saint Charles Parish, right outside of New Orleans. The judge and the job provided a much-needed lifeline. Even though, in those days, banks didn’t typically extend credit to a “divorcee” or any single woman without a man’s co-signature, Ruth managed to buy a house and a car, and to put together a freelance business taking depositions on top of it all! Those were difficult years, but she was a rock for the three of us — Jan, Tom, and Dave. It was during that time that her creativity seemed to come into full blossom. Once again, Ruth never gave herself sufficient credit for her artistry, but it seemed to manifest in all that she did. When she lived in Shreveport with her young family, she worked for a radio station and, beyond her secretarial duties, wrote ads and jingles for their commercials. She also worked at a local TV station and became involved in the production of their commercials—as a fashion model, and even enlisted her kids in a few of the spots. On the home front, her needlecraft was exceptional—and she was always making something fancy, whether a felt skirt embroidered with jeweled ornaments and designs, or satin superhero capes, or truly beautiful holiday objects for the home (which remain as cherished family possessions). She was also a life-long writer, as well as a student of history, which complimented her abiding interest in documenting family genealogy. Later in life, each month for several years, she composed a series of letters concerning religious faith. Ruth’s life took one of its most important turns after she had settled into her new job as a Court Reporter. She found the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints—or perhaps, the Church found her. Either way, it was the radiant new beginning she longed for. She drew incredible strength from the gospel, her religious experiences, and membership in the Church. Her faith was her fulfillment and eventually, working in the Atlanta Temple after her retirement, it led her (at age 70) to meet and marry Clyde Elmer Black, who was without a doubt the love of her life. They shared the sweetest love and devotion for each other and were blessed with 17 years together before Clyde passed away. They made their homes, first, in Atlanta; then in Columbia, South Carolina, where they enjoyed fellowship with Clyde’s loving family; and then in Florida, where they were invited to live with Dave and Marsha Avgikos. Ruth was survived by: her children Jan Avgikos, Tom Avgikos, and David Avgikos; daughters-in-law Heidie Giannotti, Elaine Thagard, and Marsha Avgikos; grandchildren Alex Avgikos, Leigh Ann DeVito (husband Dominick), Rachel Leininger (husband Aaron), Rusty Koivu (wife Jenn), Talbert Black Jr. (wife Ming-Fen); and many great-grandchildren including Kyra Avgikos; Jace, Shawn, and Kellen Loban; Cale, Peyton, and Grayson Leininger; and Catherine Black. We will always be indebted to Mom for blazing the trail, for meeting challenges with grace and ability, for her dry sense of humor, for putting everything she had into giving her children a home filled with love and creative inspiration, for showing us what it means to live a virtuous and moral life, and for being open to the unexpected joys of life. We love you, we miss you, we think of you a million times a day, and we praise the Lord for you!

Tributes

Mrs. Ruth Bell Black

September 9, 1924 - November 13, 2024