News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Upper Cumberland Peace Activist Hector Black has died at the age of 95.
“We know what a reach and influence Hector had and how many lives he touched,” Black’s Facebook page said Saturday. “Please hold his family in the light through this difficult time.”
Black’s daughter announced via his Facebook page this week that he had entered Hospice care. Black had been diagnosed with bone cancer and had seen the cancer spread.
Black gained national attention after the 2001 rape and murder of his adopted daughter, Tricia Nuckles, by an Atlanta man, Ivan Simpson. The man, a drug addict, broke into her Atlanta home twice while she was at work. Nuckles came home and found the man hiding in a closet. Simpson killed her.
The crime, Black would say later, challenged his Quaker beliefs against non-violence. However, as Black began learning about Simpson’s background, he pressed prosecutors not to seek the death penalty. He spoke in court that he hoped Simpson would find peace. The two maintained correspondence as Simpson served a life sentence.
Black served in France during World War II. He returned to the states where he attended Harvard.
Black’s burial will be private because of COVID-19. The family said they would plan a memorial service, perhaps in February near his 96th birthday.
