COCOA, Fla. — A man well-known for his contributions to his city and county throughout the decades has died.
The city of Cocoa announced its mourning for Richard “Dick” Blake. His obituary shows he was 91.
Blake was also the father of Cocoa Mayor Michael C. Blake.
Officials said Blake made history as the first Black principal in Brevard Public Schools post-desegregation. He was the principal of Cocoa High School for 23 years and served on the Rockledge City Council for 40 years.
Blake was born in 1933 in Bonaventure, a small community just south of Rockledge, to migrant workers.
Officials said his roots showed a lifelong dedication to service.
In 2018, the Brevard County School Board unanimously voted to name Cocoa Jr./Sr. High School’s stadium, the Richard “Dick” Blake Stadium, in his honor.
According to Cocoa city leaders, Blake Avenue is named after his father, Virgil, who was the first African American to serve on a major advisory board.
The city said to honor Blakes’s memory, donations can be made to the Cocoa High School Richard “Dick” Blake Scholarship fund.
Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
©2025 Cox Media Group
