December 29, 1929 - September 02, 2015
Carl Joseph King was born December 29, 1929 to Walter and Anna King in Green City, Missouri. He passed peacefully to His Lord and Savior on September 2, 2015 after battling Alzheimer’s disease for several years. Orphaned at a young age, Carl was raised by his mother’s parents on their truck farm. In his youth he worked various jobs as a grocery delivery boy, meat cutter’s assistant, soda jerk, bowling pin setter, dry cleaner’s assistant, and assistant to his stepfather who was a mason. His meat cutting skills later helped to fund his education and all of these experiences laid a strong foundation for serving and relating to people all through his life. He met his wife, Frances Helen Johnson, while attending Seattle Pacific University and they married September 19, 1953. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1955, a Bachelor of Divinity in 1957, and a Masters of Religious Education in 1966. During those years he was called to full-time Christian ministry and fathered two daughters, Barbara and Marlys. He was the senior pastor at the following churches: Bellingham Covenant in Bellingham, WA; Douglas Park Covenant in Chicago, Illinois; First Covenant Church in Spokane, WA; College Center Covenant in San Diego, CA; Campus Way Covenant in Federal Way, WA; and Selah Covenant Church in Selah, WA. In July of 1995 he retired after 41 years of pastoral ministry. In his personal memoirs he wrote: “I praise God for His mercy in saving me, His providence in guiding me, and His grace in enabling me.” And said of his life, “It is a life of minimum regrets”. He leaves behind Frances, “the perfect preacher’s wife for me”; his daughter, Barbara Safranek, and her husband, Mark, and their three children: Nicole, Colin, and Gregory; his daughter, Marlys Nunez, and her husband, Alex, and their five children: Troy, Christiana (husband, Ramon Lopez and daughters, Abigail and Hannah), Francesca, Stephen, and Tristan; and his only brother, Charles King, and his wife, Cecelia. He was a devoted husband and loving father and brother, and comforted, counselled, and encouraged many people during his years of pastoral ministry. Praise be to God! A memorial service for Carl will be held at 3:30 pm on September 26, 2015 at Rockwood Retirement in Spokane, WA. Community Cremation & Funeral - Spokane Valley - 13127 E. Sprague Ave, Spokane Valley, WA 99216, (509)926-2020 - Communitycremationandfuneral.com
