Thomas William Black is best known publicly as the father of actor, comedian, and musician Jack Black, but his own professional background was rooted in aerospace engineering rather than Hollywood. He worked as an engineer in the aerospace and satellite field and was married to pioneering aerospace engineer Judith Love Cohen, with whom he had his only widely known child, Jack Black.

Although Thomas William Black has maintained a considerably lower public profile than his famous son, interest in his life has continued because of his connection to one of Hollywood’s most recognizable entertainers and to a family with a strong engineering background. Public records and biographical accounts provide some information about his marriage, profession, family, and later life, although many personal details remain private.

Quick Facts About Thomas William Black

Who Is Thomas William Black?

Thomas William Black is an American aerospace engineer and the father of Hollywood entertainer Jack Black. His professional life was centered on engineering, while his son eventually became known internationally for acting, comedy, music, and voice work.

Thomas became particularly notable to the public because of the unusual combination of science and entertainment in his immediate family. He and Judith Love Cohen were both engineers, while their son Thomas Jacob Black—better known professionally as Jack Black—built a successful career in the entertainment industry.

Unlike his son, Thomas did not pursue a public-facing career. As a result, detailed information about his childhood, education, professional assignments, and personal interests is limited in mainstream biographical records.

Thomas William Black’s Early Life and Background

Detailed information about Thomas William Black’s childhood is not extensively documented in reliable public biographies. Some genealogy records identify him as having been born in Los Angeles in 1941, but the exact birth information is not consistently documented by authoritative biographical sources.

What is much better established is his professional identity. Thomas entered the engineering field during a period when aerospace technology was rapidly expanding in the United States. His career placed him in the same broad scientific and technical environment as his future wife, Judith Love Cohen.

The aerospace industry during this era was closely connected with satellite technology, defense systems, guidance systems, and America’s expanding space program. Working in that environment required advanced technical knowledge and specialized engineering skills.

What Did Thomas William Black Do for a Living?

Thomas William Black worked as an aerospace and satellite engineer. Multiple biographical accounts describing Jack Black’s family identify both Thomas and Judith Love Cohen as aerospace engineers.

His exact job titles, employers, and individual engineering assignments are not as thoroughly documented online as those of Judith Love Cohen. Therefore, it is important not to attribute specific NASA or Apollo projects to Thomas without reliable documentation.

The couple’s professional backgrounds nevertheless placed them within Southern California’s aerospace community, an industry that played an important role in the development of American defense and space technology during the second half of the 20th century.

Did Thomas William Black Work on the Hubble Space Telescope?

Thomas is frequently described in biographical coverage as an aerospace engineer who, along with Judith Love Cohen, was connected with the engineering world surrounding major space projects. Some accounts state that both parents worked on the Hubble Space Telescope.

However, the available detailed historical documentation is much stronger for Judith Love Cohen’s individual work than for Thomas’s specific Hubble responsibilities. Cohen’s documented career included major work involving the Minuteman missile guidance system, the Apollo Lunar Module’s Abort-Guidance System, and the Hubble Space Telescope’s ground science system.

For that reason, Thomas’s career is best described generally as aerospace and satellite engineering rather than assigning him a specific Hubble or Apollo role that cannot be independently verified.

Thomas William Black and Judith Love Cohen

Thomas William Black was married to Judith Love Cohen, a highly accomplished aerospace engineer whose career became notable in its own right. The couple married in 1966 and later had their son, Jack Black, in 1969.

Their marriage brought together two people working in the technically demanding aerospace industry. Cohen had already developed an impressive engineering career, including work at Space Technology Laboratories, later associated with TRW, and projects involving missile guidance, Apollo, and satellite systems.

Their relationship is particularly interesting because both parents came from technical backgrounds, while their only child became an entertainer rather than an engineer.

When Did Thomas William Black and Judith Love Cohen Divorce?

Thomas William Black and Judith Love Cohen divorced in 1979, approximately a decade after the birth of their son.

Jack Black was about 10 years old when his parents divorced. He later discussed the emotional effect of the divorce and the fact that he continued to have relationships with both parents. Public accounts indicate that Thomas remained an important part of Jack’s upbringing.

After the divorce, Judith Love Cohen eventually married David A. Katz. She continued her professional and educational work and later became involved in publishing books designed to encourage young people, particularly girls, to pursue science and engineering careers.

Who Is Thomas William Black’s Son?

Thomas William Black’s best-known child is Jack Black, whose birth name is Thomas Jacob Black. Jack was born on August 28, 1969, in Santa Monica, California, and became an internationally recognized actor, comedian, singer, musician, and producer.

Jack Black’s career includes major films such as High Fidelity, School of Rock, King Kong, Tropic Thunder, and the Kung Fu Panda franchise. He is also one half of the comedy-rock duo Tenacious D.

His connection to Thomas William Black is therefore one of the main reasons people search for Thomas’s biography today.

Thomas William Black and Jack Black’s Relationship

Thomas William Black and Jack Black have maintained a relationship despite the divorce between Thomas and Judith Love Cohen. Jack has spoken positively about his childhood and his relationship with both parents.

In an interview discussed by later biographical coverage, Jack described having a good childhood and recalled his parents attending his school performances. This suggests that Thomas continued to support his son’s interests even after separating from Cohen.

Thomas was also seen publicly with Jack at significant family and career events. Photographs have documented the father and son together, including appearances connected to Jack Black’s Hollywood career.

The relationship is notable because Jack eventually chose a career far removed from the technical profession of his father. Instead of following the family tradition of engineering, he developed a distinctive identity through acting, comedy, music, and voice performance.

What Is Thomas William Black’s Ethnicity?

Public biographical information about Thomas William Black’s family background is limited. Some family-history sources describe his ancestry as including English, Irish, Scottish, and German roots, while biographies of Jack Black have repeated similar descriptions of his paternal heritage.

Because ancestry information is not as thoroughly documented for Thomas himself as it is for some other members of the family, specific ethnicity claims should be treated cautiously.

Thomas William Black’s Family

Thomas’s immediate family became famous primarily through his son. Jack Black was born during Thomas’s marriage to Judith Love Cohen in 1969.

Judith also had three older children from her first marriage: Neil Siegel, Howard Siegel, and Rachel Siegel. That means Jack grew up with older maternal half-siblings, giving him a broader family connection to the scientific and engineering world.

Neil Siegel later became a prominent engineer and academic, continuing the family’s strong connection to science and technology.

This makes the family particularly unusual in celebrity culture. The Black-Cohen family combines aerospace engineering, science, education, publishing, music, film, and comedy across multiple generations.

The Connection Between Thomas William Black and Apollo 13

Thomas William Black is sometimes mentioned in stories about the Apollo 13 mission because of his marriage to Judith Love Cohen. However, the famous Apollo 13 engineering story belongs specifically to Cohen’s documented professional work.

Cohen worked on the Abort-Guidance System for the Apollo Lunar Module. That system became important during the Apollo 13 emergency, when the spacecraft suffered a catastrophic oxygen-tank failure. The system helped provide a means of guiding the lunar module during the astronauts’ emergency return to Earth.

Thomas should therefore not be described as the engineer who saved Apollo 13. His connection to that story comes primarily through his former wife and fellow engineer.

Where Is Thomas William Black Now?

Thomas William Black has lived a largely private life, and detailed information about his current activities is limited. Public reporting has documented him appearing with his son at family and Hollywood events, including a 2019 Jumanji: The Next Level premiere.

A 2021 Father’s Day post from Jack Black also indicated that Thomas was alive at age 80 and enjoying outdoor activities.

There is not enough reliable public information to provide a detailed account of his activities in 2026. It is therefore more accurate to describe him as a private former aerospace engineer rather than speculate about his current occupation or lifestyle.

Thomas William Black’s Net Worth

Thomas William Black’s exact net worth has not been publicly confirmed.

Unlike his son, whose entertainment career has generated extensive media coverage, Thomas worked primarily outside the public spotlight. Reliable financial records detailing his earnings, investments, property, or retirement assets are not publicly established.

Online estimates should therefore not be treated as confirmed figures. His professional background indicates a career in aerospace engineering, but that alone does not provide a reliable basis for calculating his personal wealth.

Was Thomas William Black an Actor?

No. Thomas William Black is not known as an actor or entertainment professional. His documented professional identity is connected to aerospace and satellite engineering.

His association with Hollywood comes through his son, Jack Black. Jack developed a career in film, television, comedy, music, and voice acting, while Thomas remained outside the entertainment industry.

Why Do People Search for Thomas William Black?

The primary reason people search for Thomas William Black is his relationship with Jack Black. Fans interested in Jack’s childhood and family background often want to know more about the parents who raised him.

Thomas’s story is also interesting because he was an aerospace engineer married to another accomplished engineer, Judith Love Cohen. Their family background provides a different perspective on Jack Black’s upbringing and shows that his early environment included considerable exposure to science, engineering, education, and technical thinking.

His relatively private life also explains why many details about him remain less documented than those of his famous son.

FAQs About Thomas William Black

Who is Thomas William Black?

Thomas William Black is an American aerospace and satellite engineer best known as the father of actor, comedian, and musician Jack Black. He was married to aerospace engineer Judith Love Cohen, and the couple welcomed Jack Black in 1969. Thomas has generally maintained a private life away from the entertainment industry.

Who is Thomas William Black’s son?

Thomas William Black’s son is Jack Black, whose birth name is Thomas Jacob Black. Jack was born on August 28, 1969, in Santa Monica, California. He became known internationally through acting, comedy, music, and voice performances in projects including School of Rock and Kung Fu Panda.

Was Thomas William Black an aerospace engineer?

Yes. Thomas William Black is identified in biographical accounts as an aerospace or satellite engineer. His professional background was in the aerospace industry rather than entertainment. His former wife, Judith Love Cohen, was also an aerospace engineer with a documented career involving several major American space and defense projects.

Who was Thomas William Black’s wife?

Thomas William Black was married to Judith Love Cohen. They married in 1966 and later divorced in 1979. Cohen was an accomplished aerospace engineer who worked on major guidance and space-related systems and later became an author and publisher promoting careers in engineering and science.

When did Thomas William Black and Judith Love Cohen divorce?

Thomas William Black and Judith Love Cohen divorced in 1979, about ten years after the birth of their son Jack Black. Following their divorce, Cohen later married David A. Katz, while Thomas continued his own life outside the public spotlight.

Did Thomas William Black work on the Hubble Space Telescope?

Thomas is described in some biographical accounts as an aerospace engineer associated with the same professional environment as major space projects, including the Hubble Space Telescope. However, detailed authoritative documentation about his individual contribution to Hubble is limited. Cohen’s own Hubble-related engineering work is much more thoroughly documented.

What is Thomas William Black’s net worth?

Thomas William Black’s exact net worth has not been publicly confirmed. There are no sufficiently reliable public financial records that establish his personal wealth. Online estimates should therefore be regarded as speculative rather than factual.

Is Thomas William Black still alive?

Public reporting confirmed that Thomas William Black was alive in 2021, when Jack Black publicly celebrated his father’s 80th birthday. More recent reliable information about his health or activities in 2026 is limited, so his present circumstances should not be speculated about.

What is Thomas William Black famous for?

Thomas William Black is primarily famous because he is the father of Jack Black. He is also recognized for his professional background as an aerospace and satellite engineer and for his former marriage to pioneering engineer Judith Love Cohen.

Conclusion

Thomas William Black’s story is closely connected to two worlds: aerospace engineering and Hollywood. He built his own professional life as an aerospace and satellite engineer before becoming known publicly through his son, Jack Black. His marriage to Judith Love Cohen also placed him within a family distinguished by engineering, science, and education.

Although much of Thomas’s personal life remains private, his family connection explains why interest in his biography continues. For fans researching Jack Black’s background, Thomas William Black provides an important link to the scientific and family environment in which the future entertainer was raised.