Orville Radcliffe Blake

ORVILLE RADCLIFFE BLAKE

August 17, 1927 - March 28, 2022

Orville Radcliffe Blake was the only child of Claire Louise Glanville Blake and Rev. James Augustus Blake, born on August 17, 1927, in the parish of Manchester, Jamaica at the Manse of the Porus Baptist Church where his father was the Minister. In Jamaica he attended Calabar High School and was the goalie for the Calabar High soccer team. He left Jamaica to attend Fisk University in Nashville TN (Class of ‘46); majored in Zoology, was in the Spanish Club, the Debating Society and on the Track Team. 

When Orville made the decision to further his education, he selected the University of Saskatchewan (Class of ’54) in Canada to receive a Master in Physiology.  One of only a few black international students ever admitted, his thesis – “An Assay for The Antithrombotic Activity of Anticoagulants” - was a part of a world- renowned research group studying various aspects of blood clotting, in particular the chemistry and biology of heparin as an anticoagulant. This study was the first of its kind, and instrumental in the development of the first International Heparin Standard.

His Dean encouraged him to enroll as a medical student at the University of Saskatchewan, but upon returning to Jamaica for a brief winter break, he met his future spouse Leonetta Ratteray and they married in December 1956.  Needless-to-say, his dean was disappointed he did not return to Saskatoon to pursue medicine. 

Upon marrying Leonetta he stayed in Jamaica and worked on multiple projects to help broaden health related services for the island but felt the need to receive additional education in healthcare.  During the decision-making in process Orville applied to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill for admission to the Master of Public Health program. What he didn’t know at the time was that UNC, the sole public University in the United States which had graduated students in the 18th century, had its first Black graduate in 1952. This period was marked by heavy involvement of a small corps of UNC students who, in partnership with church leaders, community activists, and a handful of university professors would lead Chapel Hill to be the first southern town to desegregate. This meant that Orville would be among an elite group of Black Pioneers to receive a degree at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill (Class of ’63).

His many achievements in public healthcare, while serving as Director of Health Education for the Dade County Health Department (1969-1996), include: instituting the first program for AIDS education in Dade County, creating and obtaining funding for the first Sickle Cell program in Dade County and developing the first neighborhood outreach program for health education using indigenous workers.

He pioneered the proposals for Dade County Health Department primary care delivery and the initial Hypertension Education Program, obtained seed funding for the Jefferson Reeves Health Center, established health education activities for the Rubella Campaign, and served as Chairman of the Dade County Committee for the prevention of teenage pregnancy.

Orville will be fondly remembered and missed dearly by Leonetta, his spouse of 65 years, his children Deryck, Renee and Dwayne Fortner (son-in-law), Rosalind, his grandchildren Kennedy and Preston, along with many families and friends.

Scholarship Fund Donation

The family would like you to consider donating to the scholarship fund set up on honor of Orville R Blake

Orville and Leonetta Blake

Health Studies Scholarship Fund

c/o Parkway Baptist Church

18000 NW 18th Avenue

Miami Gardens, Florida 33056