DeLayne Jean KING

1927 - 2019

KING, DeLayne Jean (Erickson) DeLayne Jean (Erickson) King passed away quietly on November 16, 2019 with family members by her side. Known by family and friends as Dee, she was born on October 30, 1927 to Carl and Tilda (Rudd) Erickson in Adams, North Dakota being the youngest of 10 children. Dee graduated from Adams High School in 1945 in a small class of about five. While in school she worked in a small store in Adams and sometimes in the summer she and friends would pick potatoes for extra money. After graduation she ventured out to join a brother and sister who had moved to Spokane, Washington. One of her first jobs in Spokane was working for Pacific Northwest Bell as an operator. After her employment with Pacific NW Bell she went to work for Safeway. Her brother has been working there for some time and she felt that was a good next step. Dee worked at Safeway until she retired. She loved working with the public and made good friends with coworkers. She remained friends with many of these coworkers even after retirement. In 1947 she met and married Douglas (Doug) King. Doug was a builder, so in their 65 years of marriage they moved several times ending up in the country north of Spokane. Soon four children came along, two girls (Terri and Debbie) and two boys (Kevin and Shawn). Dee was the happiest when she was planning her yearly Christmas open house. Every year she would decorate her house, put up the tree and start cooking and baking. It became a huge potluck as family and friends would bring their favorite specialties to share. Everyone would have holiday drinks and fill themselves with Holiday goodies. Dee loved visiting with all her guests. They built a summer home on the Pend Oreille River and enjoyed their time there. When they were there Dee, who loved to bake, would create wonderful treats. She was a wonderful baker; you could always find a fresh pot of coffee brewing when you dropped in. Over the years they traveled down south in the winter in their RV and always had their small dogs along with them. The time was usually spent in Nevada. She loved Gonzaga Basketball and when they were on the road she always did her best to find somewhere to watch the game. Dee is survived by her daughters Terri King (Dave), Debbie King; sons Kevin King (Jennifer) and Shawn King (Colleen); eight grandchildren, fifteen great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents and her siblings. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 7, 2019 at 2:00 pm at Heritage Funeral Home, 508 N. Government Way. In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be made to the care and cure of Dementia or to a charity of your choice in her name. The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Brookdale North for the wonderful care and compassion of mom.