James Gore "Jim" King VI

1927 - 2024

Jim King passed away peacefully on March 31, 2024, with his family by his side. He had struggled with Dementia for the last several years but, through it all, was polite, cheerful and comfortable. He is survived by his wife, Mary Lou, daughters Sara and Laura, son James, their spouses, ten grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

James Gore King VI was born October 23, 1927, in Portland, Maine, to James Gore King V and Julie Hurley King. He grew up in New England and graduated from South Kent Boarding School in Connecticut in 1946. After high school, he joined the Marines and was on the base fire crew for two years in North Carolina. As was expected by his family, he attended Harvard University for one year. He drove to Alaska with a friend in 1949 and lived there the rest of his life.

Jim's first job in Alaska was working on the railroad outside Denali National Park. In the fall of 1949, he enrolled at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, under the GI Bill and attended for two years. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Management from Washington State University in 1958. The break in his college experience was filled with employment as a game warden for the US Fish & Wildlife Service based out of Fairbanks. In 1961, he married Mary Lou Neville from Southern Oregon, whom he met in Juneau. They enjoyed 63 years together. In quick succession, they were joined by daughters Sara and Laura. The young family spent two years in Bethel, where Jim was the first refuge manager for the Yukon Delta NWR. In 1964, they moved to Juneau after he accepted a job as flyway biologist. They purchased their home on Sunny Point, and their son James arrived soon after. Jim spent the rest of his career monitoring bird populations throughout Alaska and northwestern Canada. He retired from Government service in 1983 but continued working with birds until well into his 80's. He flew 6,500 hours for Fish and Wildlife and then logged another 2,100 hours as an observer for ABR Inc. and others after retiring. Besides spending time with his family, his favorite activity was to fly around at low altitudes, looking for birds and other interesting things anywhere in Alaska.

Along with learning about and monitoring the natural environment, conservation was one of Jim's top priorities. He sat on many boards and chaired several of them. Some of the organizations he was passionate about were City of Juneau Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, Alaska Conservation Society, Pacific Seabird Group (responsible for helping to get several seabird species on the endangered list), Trumpeter Swan Society, Juneau area State Parks (responsible for helping to get several popular parks created), Territorial Sportsmen, Alaska Democratic Party, American Bald Eagle Research Institute, and Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Settlement Public Advisory Group. He was also involved with the Juneau Audubon Society, Taku Conservation, and Trail Mix Inc.

As a result of his professional and volunteer efforts, he was the recipient of many prestigious awards: 1972 - National Wildlife Federation Alaska Conservationist of the Year, 1973 - US Fish & Wildlife Service Superior Service Award, 1988 – US Fish & Wildlife Safe Pilot Award, 1989 - University of Alaska Southeast Honorary PhD Doctor of Science, 1997 - Pacific Seabird Group Life Time Achievement Award, 1997 - The Trumpeter Swan Society Award for 50 years conservation work with Trumpeters, 2002 - US Department of Interior Distinguished Service Award, 2005 – Alaska Legislature Honor with Mary Lou for receiving Lifetime Achievements awards from the Alaska Conservation Council, 2010 – Alaska State Parks Recognition of 25 years of Service, 2011 – US Fish & Wildlife Service Recognition of 40 years of Service, and 2012 - Alaska Recreation & Park Association Distinguished Service Award. The plaques, photos, and items received were displayed all over the house, along with art depicting his favorite places, items he collected on all his travels, thousands of books, and photos of his family.

Throughout his life Jim had the habit of documenting events; he was an accurate, creative, and entertaining writer. As a wildlife biologist, he authored over 60 scientific publications and, in retirement, wrote a memoir of his life titled "Attending Alaska's Birds". Alaska Literature was one of his passions, and he was especially proud to have contributed.

Jim was a loving, caring husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He always had a plan for an outing, and everyone in the family has wonderful memories of hiking, skiing, skating, boating, driving out the road, picnics at beautiful view spots, and lunch on the lawn during sunny days. He loved to read aloud and did most evenings after dinner when his kids were young, a tradition the family has carried on. The Kings remain close because of Jim's love for his family and enthusiasm for adventures together.

Jim King made the world a better place, and he will be missed by his associates, friends, and family. Thankfully, we can all enjoy his legacy by reading his book, respecting the natural world, and experiencing the out of doors at the parks and on the trails he helped establish.

A memorial is being planned for sometime this summer.