A true legend in his own time: Brevard residents mourn death of Richard 'Dick' Blake
The honors bestowed upon Richard "Dick" Blake in life were many and well deserved, from a Rockledge park and a Cocoa sports stadium named for him to receiving the Harry T. and Harriette V. Moore Service Award from Brevard Democrats in 2015.
Now, as word of Blake's death at age 91 spreads, loving remembrances and expressions of admiration for a man whose name has long been synonymous with civil rights, education, civic duty and sports are pouring in across Brevard and social media.
On June 3, the city of Cocoa shared an online tribute to Blake, who became the first Black principal (post-desegregation) in Brevard Public Schools when he was promoted to principal at Cocoa High School in 1979. He also was a member of the Rockledge City Council for 40 consecutive years, from 1976 through 2016.
Blake was a father of three: current Cocoa Mayor Michael Blake; daughter Sheralyn Blake-Jenkins; and son Mark Blake.
Blake's name is a familiar and widely respected one in Brevard County, deeply so in Rockledge and perhaps especially in his beloved Cocoa.
"My entire career in education was being a colleague of Dick Blake," Gary Shiffrin, of the Brevard Association of School Administrators, wrote in a Facebook post. "Fortunately, I also could call him a friend. There was not a person who didn’t call Dick a friend and he called us all his cousin! There was so much Dick contributed to the outstanding education in Brevard County. He indeed is a legend and will always be associated with what he did for Cocoa High! RIP!"
A true legend in his own time
In the 1940s, Blake played three sports at all-black Monroe High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Claflin University in South Carolina and master’s degrees from Columbia University in New York and Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. After returning to Brevard County, he became a teacher and coach at Monroe. Later, he helped in the integration of Brevard schools, becoming principal at Cocoa High.
Blake, the city of Cocoa shared, "came from humble beginnings, born in 1933 in Bonaventure, a small community just south of Rockledge in Brevard County, into a family of migrant workers."
"During the 1950s, he spent his summers in upstate New York picking crops alongside his family. His father, Virgil Blake, believed deeply in the strength and potential of their hometown, saying that 'Cocoa is where the family belonged.'"
That belief helped root generations of service and leadership in the community, the city's statement. shared.
In October 2016, the former Tiger Field at Cocoa Jr./Sr. High was renamed for the longtime educator and community leader.
At a celebration in honor of the renaming before a crowd of about 200 people, Blake told FLORIDA TODAY he was "overwhelmed" by the honor, approved unanimously by the Brevard school board.
"What an honor," said Blake, not a man known for being speechless.
"It reminds me of all the people who've been so important in my life, all the people, the students, who tell me they have the love and respect for me that I have for them."
Service information
A wake for Richard "Dick" Blake is from 5 to 7 p.m. June 12 at Metropolitan Baptist Church, 474 W. King St., Cocoa. A homegoing is planned for June 13 at Richard "Dick" Blake Stadium, Cocoa Jr./Sr. High School.
In his honor, donations can be made to the Cocoa High School Richard “Dick” Blake Scholarship fund, Cocoa officials shared.