Thank you for the understanding response @krazzytrukker . Blacky has been around my neighborhood for over ten years, before he became one of my daily visitors about six or seven years ago, so I suspect he was an 'old' guy like me.
I also suspect he once had a people home due to his gentle, yet cautious nature (perhaps an indoor-outdoor pet?) whose people lost or abandoned him.
Yes, Black feral and stray cats do seem to get treated with more disdain due to superstitions. Perhaps this is one reason he got so close to my heart? I'll be posting tributes to him soon.
I wasn't able to connect with Bittube (from your link) on this system, so will check it out from another device, soon.
Regards
RE: Mr. Blacky (The Stray) Died; Rest in Peace my Sweet Friend