Tim Justin Black

Tim Justin Black, 77, passed away peacefully at his home near Shelton, WA on September 13, 2026, after a lengthy battle with a hereditary and degenerative lung condition.

Tim was born in Redmond, OR, July 9, 1949, the eldest son of Laverne Harold Black and Lilas Corinne (Towe) Black. He was the second of 5 children: an older sister, LaVerna (Black) Mason Sebranke, and 3 younger brothers, Steven Harold, Kelly Earl, and Kevin Eric Black. Tim and his 4 siblings grew up in a house in Prineville, OR that he helped his father build. Soon after graduating from Crook County High School, he enlisted in the US Navy. There, he served with distinction as a Radioman, rising to the rank of Petty Officer Second Class prior to his honorable discharge. He completed basic training at the Naval Training Center San Diego and was later stationed in Sonoma, CA and the island of Adak, AK.

He married Pam (Brown) Black, his first wife, also of Prineville, in 1968 and, with her, raised their two sons, Brian Justin and Neal Dean Black. His marriage to Pam ended in 1998. In 2011, he married Joyce (Adams) Mitchell Black, now of Shelton, gaining a stepson, Ty Adams Mitchell.

He is survived by his wife, Joyce; his first wife, Pam; his eldest son, Brian; his youngest son, Neal (wife, Joanna); and his stepson, Ty (wife, Bek). He is also survived by his sister LaVerna (husband, Jerry, and deceased husband, Larry), his brother Steven (wife, Theresa), his brother Kelly (wife, Heidi), his brother Kevin (wife, Colette), 2 of his 4 grandsons, Bailey Lin and Toby Lin Black (father, Neal); and a step-granddaughter, Amelia Louise Mitchell (father, Ty). He is preceded in death by his parents and 2 of his grandsons, Sage William and Tucker Justin Black (father, Brian).

After completing his military service, he returned to Central Oregon, where he worked in the lumber business for 42 years. He worked at the Hudspeth Lumber Company, Pine Products Corporation, and Ochoco Lumber Company in Prineville, OR, working his way up from pulling green chain to grading lumber and, eventually, to the role of Lumber Salesman. At the time he received his certification from the Westen Wood Products Association as a Lumber Grader, he was the youngest to have received that certification. For a time, he was also the Lumber Buyer for Bend Millwork Company in Bend, OR and a member of the management team at St Joe Lumber Company near Princeton, ID. In 2014, he retired as the Lumber Buyer for Bright Wood Corporation of Madras, OR. After retirement, he and Joyce moved to Cape Fair, MO and then to a home near Shelton to be nearer to his sons and grandsons living in the Seattle area. Together, he and Joyce loved trivia and board games, harmonizing in songs, attending church, road trips, attending bluegrass festivals, sightseeing, and visiting with their many dear family, friends, and special neighbors.

He is remembered for his intelligence, his work ethic, his attention to detail, his sense of humor, his personal faith, and his ready willingness to help family and friends in need. Like his father before him, he was knowledgeable about, and skilled at, many crafts and never shrank from a long day’s work. From his father, he also inherited a love for making music. As a child, he accompanied his father and sister as they led singing at their local church, and, as a high school student, he formed a singing duo, The Berries (with friend, Richard Boyeson). The Berries were invited to perform locally in Prineville, including at local churches. Making music remained forever an essential part of his life, and it was rare that a family gathering did not include his voice accompanied by his guitar. He and his family also cherished the outdoors, including hunting, fishing, and camping throughout Oregon. Aside from his family and faith, his greatest loves were the outdoors and making music.

His remains will be interred at Tahoma National Cemetery in Kent, WA at a future date, accompanied by military honors, including an honor guard detail.

Oh, how we cried the day you left us

We gathered round your grave to grieve

Wish I could see the angels’ faces

When they hear your sweet voice sing

– “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” music and lyrics by Vince Gill

In lieu of gifts or flowers, memorial contributions in his memory may be made to charitable organizations close to the heart of those who knew him.