Jane Connell King

Jane Connell King, a longtime local musician and mathematics professor, of Bethlehem, died at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest on August 9, 2025, at the age of 86. Jane grew up in Shelbyville, Kentucky, where she began violin lessons in school and later studied with Sydney Harth, future concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic. By graduation, she was valedictorian, concertmaster of both the Kentucky All-State and Central Kentucky Youth Symphony Orchestras, and the recipient of a music scholarship to the University of Kentucky. There, she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in mathematics, learned "Machine Language" and FORTRAN, served as concertmaster of the University Symphony, and was president of her Chi Omega chapter-all while falling in love with Jerry King. They married in Shelbyville on a Wednesday and left that afternoon for the Lehigh Valley, hoping to find a home before Jerry began teaching at Lehigh University the following Monday. Over more than three decades, Jane taught mathematics at Cedar Crest College, Lehigh University, Lafayette College, Moravian College, and Moravian Preparatory School. At Cedar Crest, she launched and led a college-wide internship program that connected liberal arts students to meaningful credit-bearing experiences with local businesses and industries. Of her work at Lehigh, the University Provost who hired her later wrote that, in his experience, "the Lehigh students all agreed she was the best mathematics teacher they encountered at Lehigh." As a violinist, Jane built a long and vibrant career, performing for decades with the Allentown Symphony, the Pennsylvania Sinfonia, and many other local orchestras. Her music took her to stages as distinguished as Royal Albert Hall in London, Carnegie Hall, and Lincoln Center, and she remained deeply engaged in the life of the ensembles she served. At home, Jane filled her days with music and memories, delighting in turning ordinary moments into celebrations. She loved dark chocolate and dry martinis, thrill rides and dinner parties, running and long walks, and traveling the world. Above all, she loved her family-beginning with Jerry, her "knight in shining armor." Survivors: Survivors include daughter, Elizabeth King and husband William Baker of New Milford, Connecticut; son, David King and wife Robin King of Philadelphia; grandchildren Ryan King and Michelle Piro and husband Austin Piro; and brother, Charles Edward "Skip" Connell. She was predeceased by her husband, Jerry King, and brother, George William Connell. Services: A Celebration of Jane's Life will be held on Friday, September 12, 2025, at 11:00 A.M. in the Mural Ballroom at The Historic Hotel Bethlehem, 437 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA. Following the service, family and friends are invited to remain for a gathering and lunch. In accordance with Jane's wishes, burial will be private. Jane's arrangements have been entrusted to the Cantelmi Long Funeral Home, Bethlehem, PA. A memory tribute may be placed at www.cantelmifuneralhome.com. Contributions: In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Allentown Symphony Association, Attn: Development, 23 N. 6th Street, Allentown, PA 18101 or to the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra, 1524 W. Linden St., Allentown, PA 18102.