~ IN MEMORY ~
Eris ‘Bea’ Black, widow of WAL Capt. Eugene ‘Gene’
Black
Dec. 11, 1922 ~ Feb. 4, 2019
Notification with the passing of former Western Airlines
stewardess Eris ‘Bea’ Brady Black, age 96. Bea was widowed in 2010 with the
passing of her husband Western Captain Eugene ‘Gene’ Black. Bea’s interesting
life story appears below along with Gene’s obituary.
To view Bea’s obituary online please visit
Thank you,
~ Carol for the PCN
Obituary....................Eris "Bea"
Black, 96, our sweet, loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and
friend, passed away peacefully early Monday morning, February 4, 2019, in
Bozeman, MT.
She was born on December 11, 1922 in Sandy, UT, to Silas Lindsay and Mary
Zilpha (Bateman) Brady. She was the youngest of five children, with one brother
and three sisters.
Bea spent her childhood and school years in Salt Lake City, UT, graduating
from East High School, attending one year of business college and becoming a
comptometer operator.
Starting in her teen years, her family spent summers in their cabins in
West Yellowstone, MT. She cherished this yearly tradition, spending time with
family and friends for most of her life. In 1944, she became a stewardess for
Western Airlines based out of Cheyenne, WY. After two years she was transferred
to Denver, CO as the Chief Stewardess where she met and fell in love with a
handsome co-pilot, Gene Black. They married in 1947, had two daughters, and
lived in Denver until Gene was transferred to Los Angeles, CA in 1957. They
lived in Corona del Mar, CA, still spending summers in West Yellowstone. During
the '70s, she and Gene lived part-time in Honolulu, HI where he was then based.
In 1982 they bought a home in Bozeman and split their time between Montana and
California. They joined Riverside Country Club in Bozeman, made many wonderful
friends, and enjoyed playing lots of golf.
Bea was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS)
which gave her peace and comfort. She was very active in the Parent Teacher
Association (PTA) and spent years as a Brownie and Girl Scout Leader. She was an
avid Bridge player and enjoyed bowling, tennis, gardening, traveling, big band
and swing era music, and especially loved to dance. She was a bit of a social
butterfly and would liven up any gathering.
Her family and friends, and even acquaintances, meant the world to her. She
was admired and treasured by all of them. They would often say that she was
gracious, caring, kind, always positive, classy, fun and non-judgmental. They
enjoyed her humor; she made everyone feel good. People feel lucky to have known
her, as she brightened their lives.
Bea is survived by her daughters, Bonnie (Phil) Maurer of Wilsall, MT and
Vickie (Larry) Minkoff of Bozeman; four grandchildren, Billy (Marcia) Leach of
Bozeman, Alisha (Shahin) Etebar of Palm Springs, CA, and Ryan and Evan Minkoff
of Bozeman; and one great-grandchild, Gabriella Grace Leach of Bozeman.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Gene; parents, Silas and Mary;
brother, Lynn Brady; sisters, Grace Allen, Hazel Kevitch, and Mary Dent Stam;
and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and dear friends.
Bea lived a long and blessed life, often admitting, with a smile and "that
twinkle in her eyes", to being a tad spoiled.
We have lost a very special lady who will be missed by many.
The family would like to thank the staff at Springmeadows, Hospice of
Bozeman Health, First Choice Home Care, and especially Alice Bergenheier, her
dear friend and caregiver.
A celebration of Bea's life will be planned at a later date.
-----------------------------
USAF veteran, WAL Capt. EUGENE ‘GENE’ BLACK,
1923-2010
Eugene "Gene" Black, 87, a loving and loyal son, husband,
father, grandfather, uncle, and friend, passed away peacefully on Sunday, Aug.
8, 2010, in Bozeman.
He was born on April 1, 1923, at the Beer Mug Ranch in
Difficulty, Wyo., to William and Hertha (Wendelburg) Black. He spent his
childhood and school years in Blackwell, Okla.
During his first semester of college at Oklahoma A&M, he
joined the U.S. Air Force and became a pilot. During World War II, he was an
instructor on the Douglas A26 Invader. In 1945, he was hired to fly for Western
Airlines, which merged with Delta Airlines in 1987. Capt. Black retired in 1988
after 42 years as a highly respected commercial airline pilot.
During his first year with Western Airlines, he met a lovely
stewardess, Eris Bea Brady, who became his wife of almost 63 years. After the
birth of their two daughters in Denver, Colo., he was recalled by the Air Force
for the Korean War and flew 52 missions as a squadron commander on the Martin
B26 Marauder Bomber receiving multiple honors and medals, including the
Distinguished Flying Cross.
After the war and during the rest of his piloting career, he
lived with his family in Denver, Corona del Mar, Calif., Honolulu, and Bozeman;
spending many summers in West Yellowstone.
Gene was a country boy and outdoorsman at heart. He was an
Eagle Scout. He loved farming and ranching, fishing, bird hunting, gardening,
golfing, skiing, and glider flying. He enjoyed playing bridge and poker,
racquetball and tennis. He was a great all-around handyman and mechanic, and
especially took pleasure and pride in his yard work. He loved his wife and
family, friends and faithful dogs.
Gene was a member of Kiwanis, Riverside Country Club since
1982, and belonged to the Elks Club for 34 years. He shared his love for flying
and worldwide travel with his family and close friends. Gene was a true
gentleman, respected and loved for his honesty, kindness, generosity,
helpfulness, sense of humor and strength of character. He will be remembered and
missed by many.
Gene was preceded in death by his parents.
He is survived by his wife, Bea of Bozeman; daughters, Bonnie
(Phil) Maurer of Wilsall, Vickie (Larry) Minkoff of Bozeman; grandchildren, Bill
(Marcia) Leach of Bozeman, Alisha (John) Boston of LaQuinta, Calif., and Ryan
and Evan Minkoff of Bozeman.
Special thanks to the staff at Cottonwood Case Management,
Hospice of Southwest Montana, Highgate, and Spring Creek Memory
Care.
Memorial services will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 22, at
Dokken-Nelson Sunset Chapel. A celebration of Gene's life will follow the
services.
