Robert William Black, 95, of Rogers, Arkansas, passed away Sunday, December 14, 2025, in Rogers. He was born April 5, 1930, in Madison, South Dakota, to the late Albert and Helen Hart Black. Bob began working as a farmer in Madison, where he married his beloved wife, Bessie Black, on August 14, 1953. They lived there until 1964 before moving into town, where Robert learned many different maintenance related jobs. They later moved to Olathe, Kansas, where Bob felt called into ministry, a place where he would be able to use his hands for God. He began his work as a missionary in 1981 at The Nazarene Native American Bible College in New Mexico. They later moved to The Spanish American Nazarene Seminary in San Antonio, Texas, where Bob served as campus maintenance director. Robert and Bessie were asked by the church to relocate to Papua New Guinea in The South Pacific to care for The Kudjip Nazarene Hospital, College of Nursing and its large campus housing. Robert and Bessie accepted and relocated their family. Bob was able to work on many different projects there that were vital to the facility. Some of those projects included restoring the hydroelectric system and its dam, building a 7,000-foot airstrip in The Highlands and training the local natives in many different maintenance skills. He also developed the phone system for the entire complex. Robert found joy working with the village people, where his love for people was able to show. He would spend many of his evenings with the local people, going into their homes, eating their local food dishes, and above all helping and sharing God's love with them. Bob once said that his favorite job was driving his tractor, which he was able to do while building the airstrip in The Highlands. He was able to level out mountains and fill the valleys. The airstrip served the people of the remote mountain area with no roads, allowing them to have medical and educational opportunities, as well as a way to bring their Arabica coffee crop to market more easily. During the years that Robert and Bessie served in Papua New Guinea, they were able to serve other areas with Bob's maintenance skills, such as The Solomon Islands and The Fiji Islands. After retiring in 1999 and moving back to the United States, Bob volunteered for many years with Horses for Healing, a therapeutic riding program for special needs children. Bob loved spending time there with the kids and his beloved horses. As Alzheimer's progressed, Bob remained loved by everyone, and he remained a faithful man of God with strong faith.

Bob is survived by his beloved wife of 72 years, Bessie Black; four children, Carl Black and his wife, Karen, Wayne Black and his wife, Dawn, Laurie Karie and her husband, Bob and Paul Black and his wife, Amy; six grandchildren, Rainy Black, Joby Black, Adrienne Warren and her husband, Josh, Alexandra Marsh and her husband, Evan, Alex Karie, Sam Karie and many other beloved family and friends.

A memorial service honoring Bob will be 10:00 a.m. Thursday March 12, 2026 at Benton County Memorial Park in Rogers.

The family request memorial contributions be made to Nazarene World Missions in Bob's honor.

Cremation arrangements are under the direction of Benton County Memorial Park & Funeral Home.