Richard E. King

Richard was born in North Hollywood, CA on January 31, 1954, to Toxey and Betty King. He lost his battle with cancer on Sunday, February 19, 2023, at 69 years of age. He is survived by his cherished wife Cheryl, daughter Shalla (Jared) Bowman, and his sons Bryan (Marie) King, and Trenton (Christy) King. He is also survived by his 4 grandchildren: Olivia Bowman, Karter King, Dylan King, and Hadley King, and his mother Betty King, and brother Bob King. He was preceded in death by his father, Toxey King. Richard was an extremely well-respected man, one that had a reputation of always lending a helping hand. He is best described as a simple man who didn’t ask for much, and never withheld from anyone who was in need. It was very plain to see his love for others through his kind eyes, warm smile, and welcoming personality. He was always fun, full of loving kindness and patience, with a streak of orneriness. After falling in “love at first sight” he married the love of his life, Cheryl, on December 9, 1973. He was a loving husband, father, and papa. Everyone in the family agrees - they couldn’t have asked for a better man to be loved and instructed by. Growing up, most of his children’s friends considered him like a second father. He was also well-known and respected within the Fort Collins community for his many accomplishments. Some of those accomplishments included his career with Poudre School District from 1980-2005, where he retired as Director of Transportation. As one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, alongside his wife Cheryl, they spent much of their time volunteering to teach others about the Bible. His love for the Bible and for God moved him to assist with establishing a Fort Collins Congregation in American Sign Language (ASL) on February 1, 2009. He also proved the old saying wrong, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” by becoming fluent in ASL at the ripe age of 53 years old. He and Cheryl also volunteered and assisted with building the Aurora Colorado Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses from 2011-2012. He wasn’t much into traveling, but he fit the perfect definition of “Lake Life”. He loved all things water. He enjoyed taking his family to Lake Powell or spending the day on Horsetooth Reservoir bathing in the sun on the bow of his boat, over a free all-inclusive vacation to anywhere. Being one of three children growing up with Richard as our father, you took notice of his love for Sunday morning fishing shows but when it came to his fishing skills, it was very rare for him to “reel one in on the line.” He also loved the Weather Channel, envisioning himself as a storm chaser. Another one of his favorite past times was hanging out with his best friend and brother-in-law JR. They had an undeniable ability to get into mischief. They loved to do things like go white water rafting, blow-up propane tanks in the woods, or just spending time together with their families. Richard held dearly the Bible’s promise at John 5:28,29. There it assures us that “All those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life.” We long for the day, very soon, when this promise will come true, and we can see Richard (Papa) once again. There will be a Memorial Service held Saturday, April 1, 2023, at 3:00 p.m. MST. The location will be The Drake Centre, 802 W. Drake Rd, Fort Collins, CO 80526. There will also be an on-line Zoom Video Conference option to view the service. For more information, please contact Shalla Bowman at: (970) 218-3497