- Date Of Birth: July 27, 1934
- Date Of Death: December 31, 2015
- State: Florida
Dan King was born in Kingstree, SC and reared in Florence and Darlington, SC. In his home, service to country was imperative; King joined the National Guard while still in high school. He was activated and served honorably as an Army paratrooper in the Korean War; as part of the prestigious Airborne forces, he often parachuted into conflict behind enemy lines. Upon honorable separation, he participated in Army administered aptitude tests; King was exceptionally logical and mathematically gifted and was offered scholarships to both The Citadel and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Instead he chose to follow his father’s path by working for the Atlantic Coastline Railroad as a brakeman. He traveled from the Carolinas to Virginia, Alabama and Florida, eventually moving to Lakeland, Florida in 1960. King left the railroad and went to work for Owens-Illinois as a master mechanic. His acute interest in politics and fervent affinity for fairness led to a long and extremely successful alliance and career with the AFL-CIO, Glass Bottle Blowers Association and the Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers as the local union president for 25 years and an undercover labor organizer in Florida, Illinois, Connecticut, New York and Texas. Dan also served the Florida AFL – CIO as Executive Vice-president At Large for 2 terms from 1987 thru 1993. He was also appointed by Governor Lawton Chiles to the Florida Commission on Volunteerism & Community Services and served from 1989 to 1995. King grew up in the Carolina tradition of NASCAR racing; he spoke fondly of the time he spent working in the pit crew for Raymond Williams and Robert ‘Junior ‘Johnson at both local and national NASCAR speedways. In 1985, while attending a union function, King met his greatest love and the woman that he would spend the rest of his life with, Dixie King. The couple was married for more than 25 years. His hobbies included traveling domestically and internationally with Dixie and designing and constructing model railroad freight yards. After his retirement – with Dixie’s encouragement – King’s strong sense of volunteerism led him to join a small group of dedicated Supreme Court Certified volunteers who provided mediation services for the 2nd Judicial Circuit court in Leon County, FL. King was among the first to volunteer for the venerated organization; his objective was to help those less fortunate navigate the judicial system. His efforts, alongside those of his fellow volunteers, resolved more than 84% of filed disputes by facilitating voluntary agreements. King was known for his lightening quick wit, native intelligence, mastery of southern colloquialisms and his ability to recount the stories of his time; he was extraordinarily observant. Dixie King remembers a unique man who loved music and could recite the lyrics of nearly any genre, who never met a stranger, who loved Texas Aggie football and lived his strong, authentic sense of ‘paying it forward’ every day. He loved his family and adored his cat, Nala. He was the longest serving board member and 12 year director for the Killearn Lakes Homeowners Association as well as a member of the Big Bend Model Railroad Association. King succumbed to cancer after a short illness. He is survived by the wife he cherished, Dixie King of Tallahassee, FL, his step-daughter Elizabeth Matthews of Tallahassee FL, his daughter Jennifer Shea (Joe), grandchildren, John Shea, Conor Shea and Shelby Shea of Sarasota, FL, his sons, Dan King of Lakeland, FL and Brant (Jennifer) King of Atlanta, GA, his sisters, Mary (Bill) Cruse of Raleigh, NC and Lorena (John) Cochrane of Charlotte, NC and step-son Craig Matthews of Edmond, OK.
