William Ernest Black Jr. passed away on Tuesday, December 30, 2025.

Bill, as he was known by most who knew him, was born on September 11, 1949 in Valparaiso, Indiana.  He would eventually move to Briny Breezes before settling down in Delray Beach.  He graduated from Seacrest High School in 1966 where he met his first wife Patti McDonough and had two children, Billy and Tina.  He would later get remarried to Jill Hoffman and have a son John.

Bill was preceded in death by his father William Black and his mother Delores Black, as well as his brothers Gene Black and Jimmy Black.  He was also preceded in death by his wife Jill Black who passed away in 2024.  Bill is survived by his stepmother Carol Black, his son William Black (Robyn) and grandchildren Hunter and Lillian, daughter Tina Jordan (Bobby), and his son John Black (Carly) and grandchildren Harper and Bodhi.

He had a huge devotion to his friends and his family.  Every holiday meal, football game party, or event that he would cook for would be filled with new and lifelong friends as well as many of his family members.  As a lifetime member of the Delray Beach Elks Lodge, Bill was constantly involved in many of the fundraising events such as Country Western Night, annual Golf Tournaments, or just cooking for the nightly dinners.

After a brief residence in Gainesville, FL for school and Valparaiso, IN for work Bill moved his family back to Delray Beach where he would start his plumbing career.  He started his journey into plumbing working at Archie's Plumbing and doing pipefitting at the St. Lucie Plant before settling in at Myers Plumbing in Delray Beach.  Bill worked for Myers until he and 2 others decided to buy the business.  They ran the company until one of the principals passed away and they would eventually close the business many years later.  He then went to work for H&H Plumbing until he finally retired in 2023.

Bill had a passion for outdoor activities his whole life.  He spent his spare time fishing, hunting, riding motorcycles and enjoying time in North Carolina.  He was involved in his children's sports where he would earn the name Coach Black that some people still called him.  But probably his favorite past time was playing softball with a bunch of his friends.  They eventually organized a team called A's Bags and they would play on weekends and tournaments around the state.  It was these types of fun activities and good camaraderie that Bill was always known for.  He was always there to help with anyone's problems, and everybody loved him for that.  To say he will be missed is a huge understatement.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the Delray Elks Lodge #1770, 265 NE 4th Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33483 from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Saturday, January 10th, 2026.