A private funeral was held Friday for North Carolina state Rep. Maryann Black, who died this week at age 76.

Black, a Democrat who joined the state House in early 2017, died Wednesday at her Durham home, Fisher Memorial Funeral Parlor owner Chris Fisher said. The funeral home handled the service at a local cemetery.

Black’s son, Jonathan, said Friday that his mother died from natural causes stemming from a long-term illness.

Black announced in November she wouldn’t be seeking reelection to her Durham County seat this year.

Black was a social worker for more than 30 years, providing psychotherapy services to children and families. She most recently worked as an associate vice president for Duke University Health System.

Black was on the Durham County commission from 1990 to 2002, serving the last six years as chairwoman.

“She proudly served her local community long before joining the General Assembly, and was committed to improving the lives of all North Carolinians — from raising wages to advocating for environmental justice (and) to addressing the opioid epidemic,” state Democratic Party Chair Wayne Goodwin said in a news release.

Durham County Democratic activists will now choose someone to fill her seat through 2020. A likely replacement is Durham City Council member Vernetta Alston, who is the only candidate seeking the seat that Black wasn’t running for this November. The district is heavily Democratic.

In addition to her son, Black’s survivors include a grandson and her mother, according to an obituary on the Fisher Memorial website.

Related Stories
‹
'Where Do We Draw the Line?': NC Legislation Targets Public School Libraries
In this legislative session, North Carolina Republican lawmakers sponsored bills that would allow more control over public school libraries.
Durham County Sheriff's Office Investigating Teenager Shot in the Face
Durham County authorities are investigating the Tuesday afternoon shooting of a teenager who was found at a Chapel Hill intersection before being taken to the hospital.
Widespread AT&T Outage in Orange and Durham Counties Still Ongoing
AT&T internet and television customers in parts of Orange and Durham County have been without service since around 10 p.m. Thursday night. AT&T described the source of the outage as a “fiber equipment failure” on its website. It posted a timeframe of 24-48 hours until restoration at the time of the outage on Thursday night. […]
High School Football Round-Up: Week 5
Every week during the season, Chapelboro will post the scores of local high school football games. Here are the scores from Week 5! Results from Week 4 can be found here. Chapel Hill (4-0): Idle Up next: vs. East Chapel Hill   Cedar Ridge (1-3): Lost to Person County, 76-8 Up next: vs. Northwood   East […]
Beasley Touts Sheriff Support, Opposes ‘Defund the Police’
Written by HANNAH SCHOENBAUM North Carolina U.S. Senate candidate Cheri Beasley pitched herself Monday as a bridge between law enforcement and the Democratic party, appealing to moderate voters in one of the nation’s most competitive races for a seat in the narrowly divided chamber. Joined by more than a dozen current and former law enforcement […]
Durham Man Wins $200,000 From Scratch-Off Ticket
Jose Diaz Ortez of Durham won a $200,000 prize from a $5 scratch-off ticket, the North Carolina Education Lottery announced Friday morning. The lottery shared a release saying Ortez bought the lucky ticket from Quality Food Mart on Durham Road in Raleigh and collected his prize on Thursday. After required state and federal taxes, Ortez […]
Durham Man Wins $141,000 Jackpot Prize
Damien Malone of Durham won a $141,221 prize from a $5 ticket, the North Carolina Education Lottery announced Friday. The lottery shared a release saying Malone bought the lucky ticket from a Harris Teeter grocery store on Hillsborough Road in Durham. After required state and federal taxes, Ray will take home $100,282. At the time […]
Report: Durham DA's Office Won't Seek Death Penalty for Faith Hedgepeth Murder Suspect
While a trial of the suspect in Faith Hedgepeth’s murder is still far off, the Durham County District Attorney’s Office filed a notice on Tuesday indicating one way it will approach the case. The office of District Attorney Satana Deberry marked the case of 28-year-old Miguel Enrique Salguero-Olivares in Superior Court as “non-capital,” according to […]
House OKs Raising Minimum Age for NC Juvenile Court to 8
Written by GARY D. ROBERTSON The minimum age in which a child could be prosecuted in North Carolina’s juvenile courts would rise from 6 to 8 in legislation approved by the House on Wednesday. The age threshold change, contained in a broader juvenile justice bill largely recommended by an advisory panel and approved overwhelmingly by […]
Criminal Justice Bill OK’d by NC House Reworks Body Cam Rule
A wide-ranging criminal justice bill designed to push bad officers out of North Carolina law enforcement while giving others mental health assistance received overwhelming support from the House on Wednesday. The measure also made another effort at altering the process by which the family members of someone who died or is seriously injured can view privately the […]
›