Funeral services for Timothy Black age 50 formerly of West Point, NE will be held on Monday, November 20, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. at the Minnick Funeral Home in West Point, NE. Interment will be at a later date in the Mt. Hope Cemetery. Visitation will be on Sunday from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Minnick Funeral Home in West Point and will continue one hour prior to the service.
Tim passed away on Monday, November 13, 2023 at CHI-Bergan Mercy Hospital in Omaha, NE.
Timothy Ryan Black, age 50, of Albany, Oregon, son of Thomas and Linda (Appleman) Black passed away on Monday, November 13, 2023 in Bergen Mercy Hospital in Omaha, Nebraska. As the fourth child in the family, he was showered with attention by his siblings. He and his brother had a close relationship that lasted all his years.
Tim was born July 3, 1973 and attended West Point Public School. In high school he enjoyed participating in chorus and leading parts in the musical productions in high school. After graduating in 1992, he attended Kearney State College, later attending and graduating from Wayne State College with a degree in English Literature. He taught poetry at Wayne State where he attained a master’s degree in Science of Education. While Tim was teaching at Wayne State College, he received a Master’s in Fine Arts degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
Tim’s first book, Connecticut Shade, a fusion of poetry, prose and play, in 2008 by WSC Press. Tim’s poetry has appeared in the journals The Platte Valley Review, The Logan House Anthology of 21st Century American Poetry, The Great American Roadshow and Words Like Rain. In 2009, Tim won the Helen W. Kenefick prize from the Academy of American Poets for his poem, Heavy Freight. In 2009 he was awarded a grant to edit and publish Where We’ve Been and What We’ve Seen, an anthology of student essays dealing with the experiences of war veterans in northeast Nebraska. He’s also completed a book of interviews with late Nebraska State Poet William Kloefkorn, and most recently won a grant and restarted Linn-Benton Community College’s Journal of Student Art and Creative Writing, “66” in Albany Oregon. He has also been published in Breadcrumb Scabs and at bringtheink.com. Tim was also a Cave Canem Fellow.
Tim was married to Cindy Torczon in 2002. They moved to the Albany area in Oregon to further Tim’s career. Tim spent those years teaching literature, writing and poetry to students in community colleges in Albany. Tim had a heart for his teaching and was able to communicate that love to his students. Besides Tim’s love of teaching, family, poetry, and music, he is known for his passion for helping others and equity for all. Tim took every opportunity personally and professionally to encourage people to look at one another compassionately, including his friends, students, fellow teachers and even authority figures.
Tim is survived by his parents, his sons Jake Black and Titus Black, sisters, Shelley (Jim) Kleeb of Kearney, Melody London of Sunnyvale, California, brother, Andrew (Kim) Black of Hickory Creek, Texas, nieces and nephews Lorene Miller, Nathan Kleeb, Lynette Troyer, Alec Jake Black, Dakota Black, 3 great-nephews and 2 great-nieces.