Obituary of Roland Morton Black

Black, Roland Morton, CD, ADC, RCNVR (Retired) – Roland Morton Black, son of the late Horace G. Black and Ellen (Barry) Black of Saint John, residing in Rothesay, has passed away at the age of 94. He is survived by his wife Louise Ann (Herrington) Black, his son John R. H. Black of Chicago, Illinois, and his sister Frances E. Neil of Victoria, B.C. and several nephews and nieces. Roly attended Saint John High School (class of 1936) and Mount Allison University (class of 1938). In 1939 he was assistant service manager in the then new Maritime branch of the Ford Motor Company of Canada Ltd. in Lancaster. He received his commission in the Royal Canadian Navy in 1940 serving in the first group of volunteers on loan to the British Royal Navy in Combined Operations from April 1940 to January 1943 in England and in support of the British Eighth Army in North Africa in assault ships out of bases in Tobruk, Malta, Crete, Mersa Matruh, and Alexandria. He was engaged in the relief of the island of Malta, and the battle of El Alamein, Libya. In 1943, he returned to the RCN on minesweeping duty in the Halifax convoy approaches and finally as Minesweeping Officer Bay of Fundy Minesweeper Squadron and retiring at War’s end with the rank of Lieut. Commander. As Commander RCN, he served as commanding officer of HMCS Brunswicker, the Naval Reserve Training Division in Saint John from 1958 to 1962. During this period he was appointed Aide de for Comp Lieutenant Governors Laurence McLaren and Leonard O’Brian and to Georges Vanier, Governor General of Canada, during his visit to New Brunswick in 1961. In 1947 he formed his own company, Atlantic Sound Ltd. and introduced telephone answering service exchange to Saint John, Moncton and Fredericton, together with MUAZK background work music and paging systems for business and public areas. In 1960 he initiated the then new concept of temporary staffing of skilled office workers with his Personnel Pool Company Ltd. serving the business community also in permanent placement, executive recruitment and outsourcing. He was an active supporter of the Saint John community and served as a member of the Saint John Rotary Club, board member of the YMCA, St. Andrews Society, director of Royal United Services Institute, director of the N.B. /P.E.I. Division of the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires, Byng Boys Club (those who have served in an active theatre of war), Royal Kennebecasis Yacht Club, Riverside Country Club, Golden Seniors Service Club, the Probus Club (retired professional and business men), Cliff Club and Parrtown Club. An avid sailor, as a member of RKYC and past member of the Northeast Harbor Fleet Club and Old Port Cove Yacht Club, Florida, he participated in two Newport to Bermuda yacht races (1966, 1968) and the Boston to Halifax yacht race, as well as many seasons sailing on the Saint John River, down the coast of Maine, and the Caribbean. The funeral arrangements are under the care and direction of Brenan’s Funeral Home, 111 Paradise Row, Saint John (634-7424). The Black Family welcomes friends to attend Roly's graveside service on Friday, May 20, 2011 at 2:00 in Fernhill Cemetery. Those wishing to attend should meet at the office entrance at 1:50 pm. For those who wish, remembrances to the charity of the donor’s choice, would be appreciated by the family.