George W. Black, 69: Safer travel was his life’s work

His inquiring mind and love for researching helped George Black win an appointment to the National Transportation and Safety Board in 1996. He is believed to be the first practicing highway engineer to serve on that board.

He was appointed twice by President Bill Clinton. Black’s interest in highway safety began in his early years at Georgia Tech, where he was a research assistant in a multidisciplinary study of traffic crashes.

“He taught me to work hard, to do the right thing and to always wear my seat belt,” said his daughter Karen Hibbets.

Born in Atlanta, Black was a graduate of Avondale High School and earned a degree in civil engineering in 1969 from Georgia Tech. He then served in the Air Force as a pilot and aircraft maintenance officer for B-52s.

For more than 10 years he served as Director of Transportation for Gwinnett County where he founded the County Police Department’s Fatal Accident Investigation Unit, which investigated more than 2,000 fatal or critical-injury traffic crashes and highway rail-crossing incidents. Black retired from the county after 22 years of service.

“He was also was a big supporter of Operation Lifesaver, which promotes safety at railroad crossings,” said Hibbets. “He also would give presentations at Gwinnett County high schools to make sure that teen drivers understood the dangers of inattention behind the wheel.”

While serving on the NTSB in 1999, his work on the USAir Flight 427 and United Airlines Flight 585 accident investigations earned him a Laurels Award from Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine.

“His expertise in highway engineering and lifelong dedication to transportation safety not only improved the Board’s ability to decipher highway accidents but also provided a unique perspective to accident investigations in all other modes of transportation: aviation, marine, pipeline, and rail,” NTSB said in an email.

“The George I came to know was an exacting engineer, a beloved manager, a trusted counselor to policymakers, a tireless advocate for safety, a daunting opponent, and an early adopter of new technology,” said his friend Helen Tapp.

George W. Black of Atlanta died Jan. 18 of Alzheimer’s. He was 69. A memorial service was held Monday at H.M. Patterson and Son Arlington Chapel, 173 Allen Road NE, Sandy Springs.

“We had a wonderful relationship,” said his wife Caryl Black. “He was a person of unconditional love, I wish I had him longer.”

A lover of classical music, geology, trains and traveling, Black could also play the tuba and fly B-52s: “He would call it ‘flying the heavies,’ ” said his wife.