Gregory Paul Black,
43, of Belmont, NY, passed away Thursday, July 5, 2018
Greg was born January 24, 1975, in Wellsville. NY. He attended Belmont Central School.
Greg was born in the Age of Aquarius. The qualities that
drew people to him were also his greatest strengths as a human being. He had
such beautiful eyes and a smile that could melt your heart. He was a
progressive and independent thinker. He was a humanist and champion of social
justice issues. Greg loved stimulating and intellectual conversation and had a
healthy, if somewhat dry sense of humor. He used his mind at every opportunity.
While Greg gave freely of himself, he wore his heart on his
sleeve and could become easily wounded in his feelings. Greg had a great desire
for material gain but was not greedy. He was a tireless worker and was willing
to work for what he wanted never demanding more than his fair share. He had a
gift of being able to read character instinctively.
Greg loved music. Everything from Al Green to Pantera. He
had a music service and a great wireless speaker, and we jammed more than once
at the house. He always had his headphones at the ready and listened to his
favorite hits when working in the yard. Music was one of the things Greg and I
shared, and I will hold those memories forever.
Greg loved to travel and his current job with 798 Pipeliners
afforded him that. It was a place where he could work hard now and later retire
to fulfill his dreams of owning a piece of land and a place of his own. He
earned good money and spent it well. He had the latest tech gadgets, but really
had a knack for cars, Hondas of course. He was mechanically adept and worked
tirelessly to keep them well maintained. No doubt his mechanical ability came
from his Grandpa Black and his Uncles. He also had some unusual work
experience. When living in Colorado, he lived and worked at the renowned
Broadmoor Hotel. He worked first on the greens and then in setting up for
banquets. He saw Michael Jordan there once for a golf tournament. He also
worked on the summit at Pikes Peak where you had to dress for winter even in
the summer. He loved his time and adventures in Colorado and always found a
reason to go back.
Greg was my light; my sun. He was fiercely loyal to his
family and friends and expected the same in return. He had many friends because
of his genuine, down-to-earth personality, but had few confidants; people he
trusted. Among those were his childhood friends Scotty and Dave. Later it was
Mikey, too. He had a few close friends in Colorado that he kept in contact with
and would visit when possible. One of his closest, Chris Steppler, also died
too young. His death had a profound effect on Greg. Now, they can catch up. One
of his friends said, “he always made you feel like you were somebody.” He
avoided the everyday drama, preferring to visit with his friends and family.
Greg was truly one of the “good guys.” No mother could be
prouder than I to have had him as a son. His laughter, genuine thirst for
knowledge and truth, his ability to see the best in others, his warm heart and
beautiful soul will live forever in the hearts of those he loved and those who
loved him.
Surviving are: his
mother and step-father, Marcella Black Tronetti and Charles “Bud”
Tronetti; aunts, uncles, and
cousins. He was predeceased by his
grandparents, Richard and Onalee Allen Black, and his uncle, Douglas Perry. Please
join us for a celebration of Greg’s life on Saturday, September 22, 2018 at
11:00 a.m. in Fairlawn Cemetery, Scio, NY.
The Rev. Glen Layfield will officiate.
Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association at
www.heart.org, or to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org. Arrangements are entrusted to
Mulholland-Crowell Funeral Home, Wellsville, NY. Online condolences may be expressed at www.wellsvillefuneralhome.com.
