Elizabeth “Bo” Black passed away Friday at her home in Scottsdale, Arizona, after years of deteriorating health. She was 74 years old. Enjoy this 2009 article that illustrates Black’s passion for Milwaukee, people, and life.
Elizabeth “Bo” Black, who served as CEO of Summerfest from 1984 to 2003, is a role model for professional women and a Milwaukee icon. Although he now lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, health problems and a recent achievement award keep Black in the local media and in the minds of Milwaukee residents.
Black’s bleak state of health began in 2001, just a year after she married former Brewers manager Tom Trebelhorn, when she underwent surgery to repair an aneurysm. In February 2007, Black suffered a stroke caused by a ruptured aneurysm and was in a coma for two weeks with little hope of survival.
However, the resistant black turned around, thanks to what she describes as a “miracle” generated by the power of love and music. Today, Black lives with coronary artery disease and recently battled a devastating case of swine flu, but remains optimistic. Black says he recovered from the post-operative depression that made him wish for death and that he now appreciates it every day.
OnMilwaukee.com spoke to Black by phone about Summerfest, his health, and his recent return to Milwaukee.
In Milwaukee: How is your Health?
Bo Black: On a scale of zero to 10, it is a three or a four. I take a lot of pills for high blood pressure.
Did you have a history of high blood pressure?
Yes. When I was a little girl, about 5 years old, my father tried to get an insurance policy and was refused because my blood pressure was high even then. But life went on, and I had no problems in high school, I was an athlete, but when I was at Summerfest, my blood pressure would skyrocket and I would be at Columbia Hospital due to stress from work. .
This is why it is so important for women, especially women with moderate to high blood pressure, to have an echocardiogram. This is very important. I feel this is my contribution to society now: reminding women to get an “echo”.
After your first surgery, you went back to Summerfest, right?
Yes. My doctor told me to quit my job, but upon meeting me, I did not do what I was told. I continued working My children were in university and I was a single mother. I shouldn’t have done this. I wasn’t always a professional because sometimes I had to work from my bed, but I was still successful. I had a lot of creative ideas right now.
His Summerfest career ended in 2003. Were you ready to let him go?
Summerfest did not renew my contract in 2003. There was talk of me staying as a consultant, but they decided it would be too difficult to have me in the background, supervising whoever took over. So, I didn’t consult, and I came here, to Arizona, to live with Treb (Tom Trebelhorn) because we had been in a … what would you call it? – I suppose you would call it a long distance marriage.
When did you and Treb get married and what is your relationship like?
I married Treb on August 15, 2000, but had known him since 1991. We were planning a party to celebrate our marriage, but instead, I had surgery to repair six aortic aneurysms and two leaking valves. I was told that I had a three percent chance of not having a stroke during this heart surgery, but I did not.
Treb is still in baseball. He is in Oregon, managing the Salem-Keizer volcanoes. We could not be more different. But we are both Democrats and we both vote for Obama. We have that
Were you healthy when you first moved to Arizona?
Yes, it was fine, but then I started having these terrible headaches. He worked four hours a week in a clothing store and was very reliable. I was there every Sunday, and when I didn’t show up for work, (the owner) called 911, knowing something was very wrong if he didn’t show up or call. I would have called.
The paramedics found me at home and I was dead. I had a stroke and had no heartbeat or brain function. One of my dogs was sitting on my head and wouldn’t get down. I was crying incessantly. I was very scared. They know more than people know.
I met one of the paramedics many months after he had found me and he thanked him and said he honestly couldn’t believe he was still alive.
Did you have any vision or experience during your “death” / coma?
I was in a coma for two weeks and “saw” a lot of people during this time. Sometimes I see people now that I think I saw in a coma. I approached someone at Starbucks and asked, “Do I know you or did I see you in a coma?” I kept thinking about my children and my grandchildren. And I thought Treb was one of my old boyfriends.
Did something happen to get you out of your coma?
My daughters kept singing to me (Sade, Seal, John Legend) and a miracle happened. I started to recover. My daughters and music brought me back. But I didn’t know anything when I woke up. It was very horrible. I was very depressed. I couldn’t walk. I asked him, “Why did you save me?” I was a newborn. I thought night nurses were the security of the Summerfest. It was all over the map. I did not want to live.
Do you still feel that way, Bo?
No. The days are not long enough now. I appreciate every day.
What do you do with your time
I go to the doctor’s office. I walk around and see shop windows, but I don’t buy anything because of the recession. I laugh as much as I can. I watch “The View” every day just because I think Whoopi (Goldberg) is a lot of fun. I walk around the block with my cane. I water plants. Yes, I have dropped one level.
And I go to many movies. The first movie I saw after my coma was “Once” and I thought it was interesting because it was about music, it won an Academy Award for one of the songs, and music has always been a big part of my life with Festival Of summer. And then she saved me. My daughters who sang to me saved me. I really must love music.
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