Catharine Foster Black

Catharine Schall Foster Black, 98, passed away peacefully on July 11, 2026 at Bayleigh Chase Retirement Community in Easton, Maryland, less than a month before her 99th birthday. Known amongst her family and friends as “Kitty,” she was born August 6, 1927 in Baltimore and raised in Roland Park. She was the daughter of the late Joseph William Foster and the late Helen Foster Duncan (née Metcalfe), and sister of the late Joseph William Foster, Jr. She was the beloved wife of the late Honorable Judge Walter Evan Black, Jr., Chief Judge of the United States District Court of Maryland, whom she married in 1951. She graduated from Roland Park Country School in 1945, and then attended Randolph Macon Women’s college (now Randolph College) in Lynchburg, Virginia, where she majored in French. In addition to being a homemaker, she was an avid historian and advocate for historic preservation in Baltimore and throughout Maryland, serving as the Chairman of the Board of the Trustees of the Maryland Historical Trust and the President of Baltimore Heritage. She authored two books: “Great Baltimore Houses: An Architectural and Social History” and “Baltimore's Cast-Iron Buildings and Architectural Ironwork” both of which were instrumental in documenting and preserving the architectural history of the Baltimore region. She enjoyed traveling the world with her husband in retirement. She and her husband formally retired from Roland Park to the Eastern Shore of Maryland in 2004 near where the family has a vacation home located on the Choptank River. She is survived by her three sons, Walter Evan Black, III (Meg Sordellini) of Davidsonville, Charles Foster Black (Jennifer Moag) of Ruxton Ridge, and James Rider Black (Amy Sibley) of Riderwood. She is also survived by her five grandchildren, Charles Foster Black, Jr., Taylor Moag Black (Courtney LaSalle), Emily Black Soref (Rylan), Allison Jamie Black, Evan Rider Black, and 6 great-grandchildren, all of whom she adored. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews and their families. A private celebration of life gathering will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be directed to The Catharine Foster Black 1945 Endowment, c/o Roland Park County School, 5204 Roland Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21210.

Catharine Foster Black

August 6, 1927 - July 11, 2026