Floyd King

Floyd King was born in Hillsboro, Illinois, on December 27, 1918, son of Walter and Chloe Wright King. He passed away at the age of 96 on Monday, March 16, 2015, at EagleCrest Nursing and Rehab Center in Ash Flat, Arkansas. He attended Hillsboro High School and then Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois, where he received both a BS and Master's degree. He also earned a second Master's degree from the University of Missouri in Columbia. Floyd married Caroline Rose Homann in June 1942 while serving in the United States Naval Air Corps. He served on two different carriers as a fighter pilot and was in the military service until 1945. He was in Japan at the time of the Peace signing ceremony. After his Navy career, Floyd was hired as a biology and driver's education teacher for Hall High School in Spring Valley, Illinois, where he spent his entire teaching career of 34 years. He resided in Bureau, Princeton, and Spring Valley over the years and eventually retired to Cherokee Village, Arkansas, where he and his wife Rose lived for 34 years. During his teaching years, he made the decision to purchase the Hall High School Bus Company and provide the bus service for the high school. He not only delivered students to and from school from many of the surrounding towns but also transported the students to sports events for the Hall High athletic department. During the summers he chartered the buses for local sports fans so they could attend the Cubs and Sox baseball games in Chicago. The bus company was a very important part of his life as was his biology and driver's ed teaching. Floyd was active in the communities where he resided -- church, VFW, American Legion, Elks, and various gun clubs. He was also an active golfer, fisherman, and hunter -- taking great pride in training his own hunting dogs. Upon his retirement to Cherokee Village in 1980, he continued his active life in church, community, sports, and card groups. He was known as "King of the Hill" in his hilltop home area. He really enjoyed people and visiting with them, especially the coffee klatch group. He was a member of Peace Lutheran Church in The Village. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Rose of 72 years on March 8, 2014; his parents; one sister, Helen; three brothers, Harold, Robert, and Donald all from the Hillsboro, Illinois area. Survivors include a daughter, Carol Carlson of The Woodlands, Texas; three sons, Bruce and wife Kathy of North Richland Hills, Texas, Jeffrey and his wife Dixie of Happy Valley, Oregon, and Bill of Houston, Texas; five grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews; and a host of other relatives and friends. Floyd will be missed by so many; he was a truly remarkable man -- respected and loved. The family will have a memorial service at Peace Lutheran Church on Monday, March 30, 2015, at 11 a.m. with Pastor Brian Pummill officiating. Interment will follow in Peace Memorial Garden at the church. In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to Peace Lutheran Church and Cherokee Village Senior Citizens Center. Arrangements are with Tri-County Funeral Home of Highland, Arkansas.