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Frank Black's spirit remembered

By Blackwell Thomas, The Southern

Tuesday, August 19, 2008 11:32 PM CDT

CARBONDALE - About four weeks after he was diagnosed pancreatic cancer, Frank C. Black lost his battle with the disease Monday. The part owner and 50-year employee of Vogler Ford was 72 years old.

Tuesday, members of Black's family gathered at his Carbondale home. Reached by phone, Randall Black spoke about his father.

"Last night (Monday), the sunset was just absolutely gorgeous," he said. "It was bright. It was indescribably beautiful and I thought, what a perfect metaphor for dad's life. And that's when he passed away, at 7:26 p.m."

Randall added: "People from all over the world prayed for him, and I have to believe God answered that prayer in taking him so that he didn't have to suffer a long time."

Black's wife, Marilyn, remembered her husband of 51 years as a man of faith.

"He wanted to glorify God, and through his life he did," he did.

At Vogler, employees and partners remembered a man who smiled often and urged them to be smart with their money.

Dennis Rathjen, a part owner at Vogler, said Black leaves behind a legacy of not just salesmanship, but integrity at Vogler, where he began as a salesman in 1958 before moving up to become president and then part owner.

"The way he treated customers, the way he treated everybody, he cared and they cared about him," he said. "It doesn't have his name on the sign, but he made Vogler Ford his. He put his footprint on it."

Rathjen said Frank's presence brought stability to the dealership and made it a place that kept employees.

"This is a place people want to work," he said, before noting that he worked with Frank for 21 years. "We've got employees here that have been here for 35 years. Frank was part of creating that (culture)."

In addition to his wife and son, Frank Black is survived by daughters Rhonda and Carla and five grandchildren.

Services will be at Grace United Methodist Church, Carbondale, at 11 a.m. Thursday. Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. at the church Wednesday and from 9 a.m. Thursday until the service.

blackwell.thomas@thesouthern.com

351-5823