HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 241 Offered January 17, 2008 Celebrating the life of Howard Donald King. ---------- Patron-- Phillips ----------

WHEREAS, Howard Donald King of Wise, a respected citizen and outstanding community supporter, died on January 1, 2008; and

WHEREAS, a native of Calvin, Howard “Don” King was born on June 19, 1932, to Carl and Edna King, and he moved with his family to Pardee in 1948; and

WHEREAS, Don King entered the United States Army on November 19, 1949, and when the Korean conflict began, he was stationed at Scholfield Barracks in Hawaii and was sent to Korea on July 31, 1950, to fight in the Pusan Perimeter; and

WHEREAS, Don King served as a paratrooper after the war with the 82nd Airborne Division until he was honorably discharged in 1961; and

WHEREAS, after serving his country, Don King returned home to his beloved wife, the late Barbara A. King, and the couple shared a wonderful life together for 46 years and raised three sons, Donald, Jonathan, and Michael King, and a daughter, the late Brenda G. King; and

WHEREAS, a lifelong learner, Don King went back to school and began a new career as a dental technician; and

WHEREAS, a tireless volunteer, Don King was active in countless ways in the community and gave his time and many talents as a longtime member of Hoge Masonic Lodge No. 8, a life member and commander of the Kazim Temple Legion of Honor, as well as an active member of the Jericho Temple and the Wise County and Powell Valley Shrine Clubs; and

WHEREAS, as the hardworking chairman of the Powell Valley Shrine Club Hospital Transport Program, Don King coordinated transportation for children who were sick, disabled, or in need of burn care to hospitals for treatment, making nearly 320 trips to hospitals in Greenville, South Carolina, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Lexington, Kentucky; and

WHEREAS, Don King was also a life member of the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 56 of Wise, the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9600 of Pound, the American Legion Post 66 of Jenkins, Kentucky, the Korean War Veterans Association Chapter 250 of Norton, the Ross Carter Chapter of the Airborne Association, and the 5th Regimental Combat Team Association, the team he served with in Korea; and

WHEREAS, Don King will be fondly remembered for his selfless service to his community and his kind and generous nature and greatly missed by his family, his numerous friends and admirers, and the citizens of Wise; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly mourn the passing of a fine community supporter and volunteer and outstanding Virginian, Howard Donald King; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Howard Donald King as an expression of the General Assembly’s respect for his memory.