Sidney Diane Walker King

Sidney Diane Walker King, age 84, of Tampa, Florida, passed away peacefully the morning of
September 18 th while surrounded by family. Diane was born in Danville, Virginia, on March 19,
1941, the youngest child of Herman & Ruth Walker. When she was seven, she moved with her
family to New Orleans, Louisiana, where she went on to graduate from Warren East High School
and attended Secretarial School. Following school, she became employed with Dodd, Hurst,
Barker and Meunier Law Firm. In 1964, she married McLeroy (Mac) King, from Shreveport,
Louisiana, and they moved to Tampa for Mac to work at Tampa Electric Company. In Tampa,
Diane worked as a legal secretary at MacFarland, Ferguson, Allison and Kelly until the birth of
her first son, Aaron, in 1969. Following the birth of her second son, Kevin, in 1971, Diane
became a professional cake decorator for several years. In 1981, she started working at Palma
Ceia Presbyterian Church, where she worked for 42 years until retiring in late 2022. In addition
to her work, Diane was a dedicated volunteer with the Guardian ad Litem program for the State
of Florida for 18 years, a Hospice volunteer for 10 years, and a volunteer with the Animal
Coalition of Tampa's feral cat trap, neuter and release program. In her spare time, Diane was a
President of Winterset Dance Club, a past member of the Calliandra Garden Club, and a
member of the American Business Women's Association (ABWA), the Administrative Assistants'
Association (AAA) and the National Association of Professional Women (NAPW).
Diane is predeceased by her husband, McLeroy; her parents, Herman & Ruth; her two brothers,
Rodney Walker & Chic Walker; and one grandson, Salvadore Macaluso. She is survived by her
two sons and two daughters-in-law, Aaron and his wife Damon, and Kevin and his wife
Leonette. She is survived by three grandchildren, Skyler, Kyauna and Aaron Lee, and three step-
grandchildren, Gene, Chris, and Natalie. Lastly, she is survived by five combined great-
grandchildren, Will, Austin, Skylynn, Magnolia, and Liam.
A service will be held at 9 AM Friday, September 26 th, at Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church in
South Tampa. Following a reception at the Church, family and friends will proceed to Florida
National Cemetery in Bushnell where Diane will be laid to rest with her husband at 1 PM. In
lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Chancel Choir of Palma Ceia
Presbyterian Church or to the Humane Society of Tampa.