Harold Arthur "Blackie" Fluke was born in Canyon City Colorado on June16th,1927. In 1943, during WWII, he enlisted in the Navy and was stationed on the Battleship USS New Jersey. Between active duty and the reserves his naval career lasted 18 years. In 1957 he moved to Vallejo, California and went to work as a pressman for the Vallejo Times Herald. After 30 years in that job he went to work for the Solano County Sheriff's Department until his retirement in 1992. After his retirement Blackie and his wife spent the next several years traveling throughout the United States and Canada. Blackie was an avid golfer and played golf in 45 of the 50 states. In 2004 he settled in Ocean Springs, Mississippi where he lived until his death. On March 15th, 2003 he fulfilled a lifelong dream when he hit a hole-in-one on the 7th hole of the Great Southern Golf Club in Gulfport, MS. In June of 2017 he fulfilled another lifelong dream when, at 90 years of age, he went skydiving at St Tammany Parish in Louisiana. Blackie passed away on February 16th, 2023, just 4 months shy of his 96th birthday. Blackie lived a long full life and always did things his way.
Blackie was preceded in death by his wife Geraldine Fluke; his brother Lloyd Fluke; and his sister Ilene Skinner. He is survived by his 3 daughters: Debbie Fluke of Vallejo, California; Valerie Helton of Sonoma, California; and Debra Clark of Los Angeles, California.
Per Blackie's wishes there will no service and he was cremated. His daughter, Debbie, has received permission from the owner of Hickory Hills Golf Course, one of his favorite courses in Gautier, MS to scatter a small amount of his ashes on the course. In addition a small plaque will be mounted on a tree on the course in his honor. Redwood trees were his favorite tree and his daughter has made arrangements to have a redwood tree planted in his honor in the Redwood National Forest in California.