Mourning Frankie Maria "Penny" Black

On April 3, 1964, Frankie Maria Black was born to her parents, Merdine Alford-Black and Marvin C. Black, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She was lovingly named Frankie by her aunt, Frankie M. Alford-Robinson. Her grandfather, George Alford, had a tradition of giving each of his grandchildren a nickname, and for her he chose “Penny.” From that point on, she would be known and loved by most simply as Penny.

Penny was the oldest child born to this union. At the age of one, she relocated with her parents to Vallejo, California. The family later moved to Oakland before eventually settling in Hayward, where many of her childhood memories were made. Penny had a tremendous love for family, especially her maternal and paternal grandmothers. She also shared an extraordinarily close bond with her mother, and the two were seldom apart. The love and care they poured into one another throughout their lives was evident to all who knew them.

At the age of five, Penny became a big sister to MyTay, a role she embraced with deep love and devotion. The two shared not only a sisterhood, but also a lifelong friendship and unbreakable bond. Penny was one of MyTay’s greatest cheerleaders and steadfast supporters. She was present for many of life’s most important moments, including serving as her matron of honor and acting as an incredible birthing coach during the births of her nephew and two nieces. Though separated by distance for much of their lives, Penny shared a deep bond with her only brother, Eric. She loved being his big sister and enjoyed cooking for him and doting on him whenever she could.

Penny began her education at E. Morris Cox Elementary School in Oakland. She later attended Palma Ceia Elementary School, Calaroga Junior High School, and graduated with honors from Mt. Eden High School. A lifelong learner, she continued her education through studies in office occupations at ABC Adult School and mortgage processing at Jennifer Hales Mortgage School. Later in life, she attended Alvin Community College, where she studied Diagnostic Cardiovascular Sonography, and Everett Community College, where she earned a certification in Medical Billing and Coding.

In 1983, the family relocated to Southern California. During that same year, Penny formed a lifelong friendship and sisterhood with her best friend, Michelle L. Childs. Over the next 43 years, the two shared an extraordinary bond and became deeply woven into one another’s families. Together they traveled, shared countless conversations, celebrated their love for the Lakers, Maze, and Jeffrey Osborne, and walked through many seasons of life side by side. During two different seasons of her life, Penny resided with the Childs family and worked alongside Michelle at Childs Play Daycare.

The following year, in 1984, Penny symbolized her faith by being baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses after years of Bible study during her youth and teenage years. A special part of her spiritual journey was her close relationship with Gerri Tonneson, who became both a spiritual mentor and beloved extended family member until Gerri’s passing. Penny maintained a faithful and devoted relationship with Jehovah throughout her life.

Penny built a strong work ethic early in life and carried it throughout her career. She worked as a mortgage loan processor for Sunwest Mortgage and Fremont Investment & Loan while living in California. After relocating to Houston, Texas, she worked in private banking for Omni Bank and later as an account manager for Conti Window Blinds. However, the role she cherished most was caring for her parents. She fulfilled that responsibility with honor, patience, and grace until her own health began to decline following a debilitating stroke in 2018.

Penny shared a special bond with Jared, Loren, and Peyton, loving them as if they were her very own children. She became an aunt to Jared on her birthday, creating a special connection they both treasured. She spent countless hours with the trio, celebrated their accomplishments, and remained a constant source of encouragement and support throughout their lives. Her devotion to family was further demonstrated when she relocated back to Los Angeles to help support Loren as she pursued her modeling career. Never wanting to miss their milestones and accomplishments, she later returned to Houston in 2015 to support and be present during her niece Peyton’s final years of high school. In return, Jared, Loren, and Peyton took great pride in caring for their Aunt Penny as her health declined, ensuring she was never alone and always surrounded by love, support, and assistance.

Penny possessed an incredible knack for building, assembling, and fixing things. If something needed to be put together, she was the person everyone called. She was creative, detail-oriented, and enjoyed calligraphy, baking, fruit carving, decorative displays, and crafts. She loved puzzles, crossword puzzles, memory games, and anything that challenged her mind.

Music brought Penny tremendous joy. She especially loved R&B and rarely missed an opportunity to attend a concert. One of her favorite traditions was attending Frankie Beverly and Maze concerts, something she continued to enjoy until her health no longer allowed it. She also loved singing and dancing with her sister, watching television late into the night, and cheering on her beloved Los Angeles Lakers. Her favorite players of all time were Kobe Bryant and Magic Johnson. Whether the Lakers were winning or losing, Penny remained a loyal fan through every season.

After a valiant battle with cancer, Penny quietly fell asleep in death on May 31, 2026. She held firmly to the resurrection hope found at John 11:25, where Jesus promised that those exercising faith in him would live again.

Penny was preceded in death by her father, Marvin Charles Black; her brother, Timothy Eric Logan; maternal grandparents, George Alford and Bernice Noble-Alford; and paternal grandparents, Charles Black and Ethel Herndon-Geiger (Freeman).

Left to cherish her memory are her mother, Merdine Alford-Black; sister, MyTay Black-Green (Fredrick); sister-in-law, Tatiana Logan; uncle, Willie O. Alford (Jo Ann); aunts, Violet Alford-Patterson and Charla Black-Edwards (Kenneth); nephews and nieces, Jared T. Green, Ariana Giorgianni, Loren E. Green, Peyton K. Green, Lloyd Logan, and Anastasia Logan; great-nephews and nieces, Acelyn Giorgianni-Willette, Paxton Giorgianni-Willette, Anielle Giorgianni-Willette, and Tierre K. Green; her sister of the heart, Michelle L. Childs; and a host of cousins, dear friends, and loved ones whose lives were touched by her love, loyalty, and unwavering presence.

Lineage:

Frankie Maria Black is the daughter of Merdine Alford-Black & Marvin C. Black; 

Granddaughter of George Alford & Bernice Noble-Alford; 

Great-Granddaughter of Wesley Dow Alford (Emily) & Annie Cyrus-Gordon (Henry); and 

Great-Great-Granddaughter of Matthew Solomon Alford & Lucy Berry-Alford.