Carole Tomi Black

Named for the actress Carole Lombard and her Grandfather, Thomas Furness, Carole Tomi Black age 82, passed at home among family.

Carole was born in Philadelphia, PA in 1942 and raised by her grandparents, Thomas Furness and Gladys Whittaker Furness both of Manchester, England. Carole attended school in Moorestown. NJ and graduated from there in 1960. She also worked at the local town paper throughout HS. Post HS she worked for a Colonel at RCA. Her skill in shorthand and typing came in handy her whole life as the church secretary for Moorestown Bible Church (now Hope Church) and as a Paraprofessional and Media Secretary of Baker School in Moorestown School District for 23 years. Even though, with the invention of the computer she typed faster than it could keep up!

After retiring in 2007 she spent her time reading, cooking for family and friends, attending small groups through Easton Bible Church, vacationing in FL and Ocean City, NJ. She loved hosting holidays for family and spent time with her HS friends, Joe and Gay Dugan, enjoying long dinners and cruising around town talking and laughing after.

Carole met her beloved, Jennings J Black Jr (Jim) in 1957 at Moorestown HS after cutting his picture out of her yearbook, The Nutshell. Excited to start their new lives together, the two were married May 15, 1965  at Moorestown Bible Church after Jim served in Vietnam.

Carole and Jim were blessed with one daughter, Christine L Black adopted on April 10, 1974 and nothing was more important to them.

Carole tolerated, but had great love for their furry friends, treating each and every one like a family member: Rudy, Lady, Bo, Riley, and Chase and a variety of barn cats in Moorestown.

Carole and her friends were like family to one another. In some cases they were family. She was very close to Jean (Black) Holloway as they were in the same grade and becoming friends with Jean meant a good way to meet her brother Jim! At RCA she befriended Joy Palmer and they were good friends until Joy’s passing in 1994. On North Church St. in Moorestown she often had picnics with their dear neighbors George and Thelma Blithe and a wide variety of friends, barbecuing, roasting corn, eating potato salad, and laughing hard at stories. At Baker school she was known for providing a listening ear and a good cup of tea for a hard day and could be out often with Sunny Scavuzzo, Marie Durante, and Maryanne Cottone.

Carole is lovingly remembered for her loving ways and the way that she enjoyed cooking (“Don’t want you to go home saying you are hungry”). We couldn’t have asked for a better parent, wife, friend, aunt, or sister-in-law, and will miss Carole every day. Her memory will live on in the hearts of all those who knew her.

Carole was preceded in death by sons, Christopher and Jennings and daughter Heather, her parents and grandparents, Thomas and Gladys Furness and beloved next door neighbors,George and Thelma Blithe. She is survived by husband; Jim, daughter; Chrissy, nephew; Brett, niece; Sunny, sister in law; Kathy Sorden, brother; Charles Dublick, cousins; Bob Furness and Norma Swidler,and many nieces and nephews on the Black side of the family.

Visitation and service will be held at Easton Bible Church on Friday, March 21,. Visitation from10-11 AM. Service to follow at 11 AM. In lieu of flowers please donate in Carole’s name to Samaritan Hospice at Samaritannj.org would be greatly appreciated.

Arrangements by the MARK C.TILGHMAN FUNERAL HOME, Maple Shade, NJ.