John King

1927 - 2016

John McCandish King left this world for a better place on January 13, 2016. Our Dad, John McCandish King, was a true Horatio Alger story of limited means to riches with global success as the first Legend of the Rocky Mountain Oil and Gas business. Dad was Chairman and CEO of public oil company King Resources Company with global exploration and drilling activity in the US, Israel, Canada and elsewhere. Dad was a US Trade Ambassador appointed by President Nixon, Vice Chairman of the Republican National Finance Committee, ran for US Senate from Colorado, a leader of the Colorado Republican Party and a two-term Illinois House Representative. Dad's was famous for his many technological and financial innovations he developed for the oil and minerals businesses. Dad was a visionary who first recognized oil potential in places such as the Canadian Arctic and Greenland. King Resources made major oil discoveries in the Sinai for Israel and in the Gulf of Suez. Dad was a major supporter of the NASA Space Program including giving Apollo pre-launch Galas. Dad was beloved by his employees who still speak today of Dad with great fondness and of King Resources as the best and most exciting company they ever worked for. Born February 15, 1927 in Chicago as the only child of John Edward King, an Illinois Bell electrician and Hazel Belle King, an Elementary School English teacher. A Loving Husband, Father, Grandfather, Great Grandfather and Uncle. Dad is survived by his first wife Carylyn Becker Lewis, his wife Mary Louise King, his children John M. King IV, Carylyn K. Dooley, Mark M. King, Sally K. Rogers and their families. He is also survived by his nine grandchildren and their families. Dad has one Great Granddaughter Lochryn VanVallin. He is also survived by his cousins Margie Miller and her husband Barry Miller, Bill Lust, Jim Lust, and Dad's Baker, Becker and Cole Family nephews and nieces. A Funeral service as a Celebration of Life will be held on Monday, January 25, 2016 at the Eisenhower Chapel located at 293 Roslyn Street, Denver, CO 80230. The viewing will begin at 12 pm. The funeral service will be from 1 pm ~ 3 pm immediately followed by burial at Fairmount Cemetery.