James E. "Jim" King Jr.

Senator James E. "Jim" King, Jr. Senator James E. "Jim" King, Jr., of Jacksonville, passed away on Sunday, July 26, 2009, after a heroic battle with cancer. Senator Jim King served in the Florida Senate from 1999 until his passing, serving as President of the Florida Senate from 2002 to 2004, as well as Majority Leader of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. King also served in the Florida House of Representatives for 12 years prior to his election to the Senate. King's passing brings to a close his 23 years of public service in Florida, where he was one of the longest serving members of the Florida Legislature. A well-known Jacksonville businessman who made his mark in personnel recruiting, temporary help and employee testing industries, King achieved an outstanding record of success during his tenure in the Legislature. King's "tell it like it is" attitude, jovial demeanor and ability to bridge gaps and bring dueling sides together marked his career and made him one of the most beloved elected leaders in Florida. One of his most notable achievements was the passage of Florida's Life Prolonging Procedures Act, known as the "Death with Dignity Legislation." Even up until the day of his passing, King believed that it was every competent adult's fundamental right to make their own decisions regarding medical treatment in the event of serious illness when death is imminent, and to be treated with dignity. This groundbreaking Act established procedures for making a living will to help ensure that a person's final wishes are honored, paving the way for other states across the nation to enact the same laws. King has been honored by the Florida Chamber of Commerce, the Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce, the Trust for Public Lands for his work to preserve Florida's Everglades, the American Heart Association, the Florida Police Chiefs Association, the University of North Florida, and Florida State University, to name a few. He received Mayo Clinic's Health Care Leadership Award for his efforts to establish cancer research as an important public policy of the State of Florida. In 2006, King received the Bob Graham Award from the Florida Lake Management Society for his tireless efforts at preserving the St. Johns River and Florida's waterways. Most recently, as a result of the establishment of the "James and Esther King Biomedical Research Foundation," King was honored by his beloved alma mater, Florida State University, with the naming of a major research building on its campus. The Jim King Life Sciences Building, on the FSU campus in Tallahassee, will also be his final resting place. King was most recently honored, only days before his passing, with the announcement of the naming of the annual King Fish Tournament location in Jacksonville as The Jim King Park and Boat Ramp at Sisters Creek. An avid fisherman and long time scuba diver, King emceed the tournament for more than 25 years. The town of Welaka also named a landmark after King, The James E. King Trail in the Welaka Forest. King was known for his love of Labrador Retrievers, having many black labs as beloved pets over the years, two of which will be intered with him at his final resting place. King is survived by his wife of almost 30 years, Linda Braddock King; his two daughters, Monta Bolles, of Tampa and Laurie Anne Dolan, of Gainesville; sons-in-law Major Chuck Bolles and Rick Dolan; and three grandchildren, Carley Elizabeth Bolles, Jack Bolles and Ashley Dolan. Memorial services will be held at the St. John's Cathedral in Jacksonville, on Saturday, August 1, 2009, at 11:00 am and in Tallahassee at the State Capitol, House Chambers, on Tuesday, August 4, 2009, at 2:00 pm. The King family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Jim King's honor to either the James & Esther King Biomedical Research Foundation, the Community Hospice of Northeast Florida, Senator Jim King Endowed Scholarship for the College of Medicine, or Senator James E. "Jim" King College of Business Graduate Scholarship. Donations to the Research Foundation should be made out to The Florida Department of Health with "James & Esther King Biomedical Research Foundation" noted in the memo portion and mailed to the Florida Department of Health, Bureau of Revenue Management, 4052 Bald Cyprus Way, B/20, Tallahassee, FL 32399. Donations to the Community Hospice should be made out to the Community Hospice Foundation, with "Jim King" noted in the memo portion and mailed to the Community Hospice Foundation, 4266 Sunbeam Road, Jacksonville, FL 32257. Donations to Senator Jim King Endowed Scholarship for the College of Medicine should be made out to FSU Foundation College of Medicine and mailed to FSU Foundation, 2010 Levy Avenue, B-300, P.O. Box 3062739, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2739. This fund is used to support students who are committed to serving the medical profession, preferably as pediatricians in rural health care and/or those segments of society that are underserved. Donations to Senator James E. "Jim" King College of Business Graduate Scholarship should be made out to FSU Foundation College of Business and mailed to FSU Foundation, 2010 Levy Avenue, B-300, P.O. Box 3062739, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2739. This fund is used to support graduate students in the College of Business. Donations to Senator James E. "Jim" King College of Business Graduate Scholarship should be made out to FSU Foundation College of Business and mailed to FSU Foundation, 2010 Levy Avenue, B-300, P.O. Box 3062739, Tallahassee, FL 32306-2739. This fund is used to support graduate students in the College of Business. Arrangements under the care of Ponte Vedra Valley, a family owned funeral home, cremation center and cemetery, (904) 285-1130. Please sign Senator King's online guest book at www.pontevedravalley.com .