BLACK, Arthur L. A retired professor of Biochemistry from the University of Davis passed away from Parkinson's Disease on Friday, August 14, 2009, at the age of 86. Leading up to his final days, he was surrounded by those he loved and those who loved him, his wife of 64 years Trudi, his daughters Terri Townsend, Janet Carter, and Patty Tleimat, their six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Arthur was born on December 1, 1922, in Redlands, Calif. He joined the Air Force in 1942 and served until 1945 when he married Trudy and they moved to Davis to create a better life and family. Arthur received his PhD in Comparative Physiology in 1951 from U.C. Davis. He was the one of the first two students to be elected a member of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honor society in his field of science. In 1963 he again was only the second scientist at U.C. Davis to be honored with the Borden Award for his innovative research. Through the years he was voted Distinguished Teacher of the Year because of his ability to explain difficult concepts clearly. The students loved him and to this day call and inquire about him. Arthur loved nature, astronomy, creating treasure hunts, laughing, children and animals. But most of all he loved to teach. Everything he did either challenged one to think bigger or to appreciate more. He was an ordinary man who accomplished extraordinary things. With all his accomplishments his first love was his family and he was deeply devoted to making sure everyone was acknowledged. As the family grew, Arthur made sure each child and grandchild felt special through his generous spirit, incredible imagination and thoughtfulness. He had a spark that was undeniable. He loved life and will be forever in our hearts a gentleman. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name can be made to Freedom From Hunger, 1644 DaVinci Ct., Davis, CA 95618, infor@freedomfromhunger.org. A celebration of his life will be held at the Davis Senior Center (Valente Room), 646 A St. in Davis on October 3, 2009, from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. Published in the The Sacramento Bee on August 30, 2009