Margaret A King

A lady called Intrepid. This is the word that comes to mind when we think about our mother Marge King. Other adjectives like dauntless and courageous come to mind as well. Home room mother, PTA president, Cub Scout den mother, Girl Scout leader and all-around world class human being doesn’t even begin to do justice in describing her legacy. Her beautiful soprano voice which she shared in church choirs and as a soloist at many weddings and funerals and as a member of a trio with her dear friends Elizabeth Woodall and Helen MacDowell and accompanied by Thelma Kells brought joy to the hearts of countless people. She was a charter member of PEO chapter CP. Perhaps her greatest impact was her work with the Girl Scouts of America where she led the successful fund-raising effort to erect the Heart of Florida Council headquarters in Lakeland, Florida. Her spirit of adventure was exemplified when she arranged a trip for her scouts to visit the home of the founder of the Girl Scouts Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah Georgia that culminated in a stay at the Girl Scout camp Rockbrook in Washington, DC and then a year later, she set off on a three week Wyoming Trek with 9 scouts in a rented Winnebago. The trip included camping in the Girl Scout camp in Ten Sleep, Wyoming, traversing Yellowstone National Park, watching the bat flight at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, touring the then new Astrodome in Houston and enjoying the French Quarter in New Orleans. The three week road trip culminated in her husband John explaining that, had he known the deplorable condition of the RV he would have strongly suggested that she shouldn’t make the trip, a sentiment based on the numerous maintenance issues that evinced themselves during repeated breakdowns experienced along the route. Absolutely fearless, she camped with her scouts into her forties, canoed through the Okeefenokee Swamp in her fifties, white water rafted the Nantahala River in her sixties and zip lined in Costa Rica in her Eighties. She traveled the world with her husband John, and throughout the United States and Canada including Alaska. She squeezed every last drop of life out of her mortal husk and she will live forever in the hearts and memories of her children, friends and those that had the privilege to know her. We will miss her dearly.

John/Robi King (Caroline), Michael King (Cheryl Goller), Sara/Sally Mateja (John), Nancy King (Stu Stuhlmacher), 5 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, and 3 great grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, anyone wishing to honor her memory may make a contribution to SPCA Florida 5850 Brannen Road Lakeland, Florida 33813, Good shepherd Hospice 3470 Lakeland Hills Boulevard Lakeland, Florida 33805, or the Girl Scouts of the USA Attention Office of Philanthropy P.O. Box 5046 NY, NY 10087-5046.