James L. King Sr.

James L. King, Sr. 1917 – 2006. Friends are invited to join the family
for a Celebration of Jim King's Life Friday, February 10th at 11 A.M. at the Litchfield Park Church, 300 N. Old Litchfield Road, Litchfield Park, AZ. A light luncheon will follow in the courtyard of the church. Jim King, loving husband, father, and grandfather was called home to live with the Lord on January 31, 2006. He was 88 years old. Jim was born on April 27, 1917 in Chicago, IL, the first child of Elmer Leslie and Harriet Memhardt King. One brother and three sisters were added to this family. His youngest sister, Laurel "Babe", lives in Long Beach, CA. Jim's father was blinded in an accident when he was a teenager. His mother was born with vision impairment, and later regained some sight, though she remained legally blind. Their physical conditions did not hinder their hard work ethic and ingenuity. They would never consider themselves handicapped. As a young boy Jim was his father and mother's "right hand man." Responsibilities at an early stage of his life equipped him with many talents. He would be called a visionary and pioneer of the west valley. In the late 1960's, while raising a family, building houses, and managing King's Department Store, Jim gathered together other residents of the community and encouraged them to take part in "The Westside Coordinating Council." He recognized areas that required planning and leadership for a "Comprehensive Master Plan." They were: Water, transportation, education, employment, religion, recreation, pollution, medical, government, population, flood control, culture, zoning, land use, and sewer. Along with the Key to the City, Mayor Jim Cavanaugh of Goodyear, AZ, presented the 2004 Person of the Year Award to Jim on May 26, 2005. A Proclamation naming a long list of Jim's accomplishments over many years included nearly every area on that Master Plan that he envisioned and helped to implement. Jim responded to kudos with: "I was in the right place at the right time. I loved this mountainous desert area with the Gila River the first time I saw it." The first time he saw it was when he camped with the boy scouts in the Estrella Mountains. It became his home when he built the family home in 1964. Jim's first wife, Esther, died in 2000 after a long illness. They had four children: Rosemary Harbushka married to Mike. They have a daughter, Alexandra all living in CA. Jim L. King, Jr., married to Lisa (Doubleday) of Litchfield Park. They have four children: Samantha Tanton, of CO, Adam Wright of TX, Vanessa King of CO and Harrison King of AZ. Ed King married to Loree (Cochrane) of Litchfield Park. They have two daughters, Lindsay and Courtney King. Wendy Boyd is married to Ayres and they have triplets: Savannah, Hayden and P.J., all living in CA. Everyone who knew Jim King was attracted to his positive attitude, his encouraging words, and his inspiring leadership. His sense of humor made him fun to be around. His strong Christian faith gave him moral character that will always be remembered and appreciated. He is missed! His wife, Gloria, survives him. They lived on the King Ranch in Goodyear. She intends to carry on his legacy of working for the enrichment of the community with particular emphasis on Christian spiritual matters and aid to the blind.