Roland James Black

Early Saturday morning, December 18, 1982, at Booth Memorial Hospital in Queens, New York, baby boy Black was born. His parents, Roland Black and Elizabeth (Bazemore) Black were overjoyed with his arrival. Weighing in at over eight pounds, he grew to stand tall at 6'5" and had a huge loving heart to fill his large stature.

33…was the number of years we had to celebrate and share time and space with the gentle giant, Roland James Black. A son, a father, a brother, a nephew, a cousin, a best friend, a true gentleman he was. Whether you called him Lil Roland or Black, if he crossed your path, you were guaranteed to see a mile-wide smile.

His greatness was evident beginning as a child. He was a natural artist who could draw any picture free-hand and it would look museum worthy. His winning spirit showed during his time playing video games as he constantly achieved the highest scores. Roland also was a techie and stayed current on all things electronic and by current, I mean he had them all. A highlight of his middle school years was being able to perform at the 1995 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with the Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School Chorus. His family relocated to Laurel, Maryland in 1988, where he continued his formal schooling and his love for basketball grew and so did he.

His career goal to work in law enforcement came to fruition on June 21, 2004, when he began work as an Officer for the Uniformed Division of the Secret Service. Officer Black took great pride in his work and was highly esteemed and well regarded by his colleagues. The camaraderie shared at work continued on the basketball court, where Roland played forward on the "The Service" basketball team with fellow officers. His service showed he was a winner both on and off the court.

Work was a huge part of Roland's life and so was his family. His family grew when he became a father at 6:41pm, on April 12, 2008 to April Nyomi Denise Black. "Baby girl" as he affectionately called her, was the apple of his eye. They enjoyed traveling to Disney, New York, and family reunions in North Carolina. They played board games together and even shared the same love for video games like Lego Avengers, Lego Batman and Super Smash Brothers. A lot of memories were created when Roland and April would eat at her favorite place, Kobe's Japanese Steakhouse. Yum-Yum sauce was a must have item every time they went. Every woman should experience the love that Roland showed April. "Baby girl" was the love of his life.

Family, work and play balanced his life. Roland started riding motorcycles in 2010 and bought his first one that same year. Bike life evolved for Roland where, in March 2015 he became VP of Lyfers MC, Baltimore chapter. Riding the open roads with his best friends and other bikers gave him great joy.

On Tuesday, May 24, 2016, we lost a truly amazing man with the greatest smile and most infectious laugh. The emptiness we now feel, can only be filled with the endless happy memories he created while he was with us. No words can express how much he will be missed by so many. He leaves to celebrate his life and carry out his legacy, his parents, Roland and Elizabeth Black; his precious daughter, April Nyomi Denise Black; three sisters: DeeDee Black, Joy Black and Rolishua Black; three brothers: Ezekiel Black, Matthew Black and Johnny Black; and a host of aunts, uncles, cousins, and very special friends.

We love you Roland, Always!

"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me."
(John 14:1 KJV)