Dr. Thomas King, Jr.

Dr. Thomas William King, Jr., of Butler, passed away peacefully at 8:45 AM on Sunday, April 20, 2008 at his home. Born August 27, 1924, in Grove City, he was the son of Dr. Thomas William King, Sr. and Mary Elizabeth Orr King. A 1942 graduate of Mercer High School, he attended Knox College and Grove City College. In September of 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Force and served as a bombardier. He was honorably discharged in December of 1945. He graduated in 1950 from the University of Pittsburgh School of Dentistry where he was a member of Delta Sigma Delta fraternity. During the Korean War, Dr. King served in Korea with the 3rd Infantry Division after having enlisted in 1949 with the Army Dental Corps. He later served as a commanding officer of the Medical Company, National Guard, in Butler. He and his wife of 59 years, the former Lois Lord Stein, were married on July 9, 1948, in McKeesport. Together they moved to Butler County, where his father had briefly practiced in the Saxonburg area in the 1920s. They established dental offices in both Chicora and Butler. He would later consolidate his practices into an office at the Medical Arts Building in Butler. For many years, he maintained his practice of general dentistry in an office located in the Diamond Building with both his father and his brother, the late Dr. Richard J. King, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon. A second brother, Dr. David O. King, also briefly practiced orthodontia in Butler. In 1986, he retired from the practice of dentistry. An Eagle Scout and Boy Scout leader, he was honored as a Distinguished Citizen of 1998 by the Moraine Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America. Dr. King was a Founding Member of Christ Community United Methodist Church. Additionally, he was a 50-Year member of Hebron Lodge 0575 in Mercer, PA; Veterans of Foreign Wars; American Legion; Disabled American Veterans; the United States Trotting Association; and a Life Member of the Pennsylvania Dental Association. He also served as a director of the Meadows Standard bred Owner's Association. In addition to having served his country, Dr. King continually served the community in which he lived. From 1960-1961 and again from 1967-1968, he served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives representing the 11th Legislative district. Following his retirement from dentistry, he was elected to a four-year term as Butler County Commissioner. He was also the Republican nominee for Congress in 1958 and campaigned with then Vice President Richard M. Nixon and met President Dwight D. Eisenhower. He and his wife were for many years the proud owners of a host of successful harness horses that raced continuously in both Pennsylvania and Ohio and occasionally in New York and Kentucky. In addition, they raced in Pompano, Florida for several years. Counted among Dr. King's happiest moments was the night in 2001 that one of his remaining horse, Berlin Flyer, was named to the Hall of Fame at Northfield Rack Track in Ohio. Although he was actively involved in a host of ventures, his greatest joy in life was his family in whom he instilled a love of family, the thirst for knowledge, the importance of education, the adventure of travel, the passion for helping those less fortunate and a vested interest in always giving something back to your community. In addition to his beloved wife, he is survived by one son, Thomas W. King, III and his wife, Martha, of Valencia; two daughters, Cheryl Ann and her husband, Michael E. Walsh, Sr., of Butler and Mary Elizabeth and her husband, Edward Owlett of Wellsboro; seven grandchildren, Emma, Caroline and William Henry King of Valencia; Michael E. Walsh, Jr.and his wife, Eliza, of Seattle, WA; Charles Andrew Walsh and his wife, Diane of Pittsburgh; and Jennifer Sue and Tricia Elizabeth Owlett of Wellsboro; and one great granddaughter, Makana Sun Walsh. In addition to his brother, Dr. David O. King, of Greenville, he is also survived by four sisters, Jean Slifka of Cheshire, CT; Mary Lou Hood of Mercer; Patricia Redfoot of Chapel Hill, SC; and Barbara Beatty of Whiting, NJ. A brother, Dr. Richard J. King and a sister, Elizabeth Ann Hennessy preceded him in death. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to Moraine Trails Council, Boy Scouts of America or the Butler Area Public Library. Funeral services will be private for close friends and family. Officiating will be the Rev. Cloyd Osborne of Butler and Dr. King's great nephew, the Rev. Adam Rodgers of Stoneboro. Arrangements by Young Funeral Home, Butler, PA

Dr. Thomas King, Jr.

August 27, 1924 - April 20, 2008