Kimmel Hafen King

Kimmel Hafen King (70) passed away on Wednesday March 18, 2026. He was born to Jean Irl Francis King and Valrea Althea Hafen King in Boston Massachusetts. Kimmel graduated from Concord-Carlisle High School, despite skipping class to find turtles at Walden Pond. He was a graduate of the University of Utah and completed his MBA at Western New England University. His career spanned national defense, environmental health and safety, and standardized testing.

Each summer growing up, Kimmel, his Mother, Dad and three younger brothers loaded into their 1966 Ford Country Squire station wagon, making the trek from Massachusetts to St. George. Despite a lack of air conditioning and privacy, traveling and camping together sparked Kimmel’s insatiable love of the open road and spontaneous adventure… preferably with children or brothers joining in.

Kimmel had a lifelong passion for the sport of fencing. He named his second son Elliot after the beloved coach of his nationally-ranked high school fencing team. He also had a boundless curiosity about the world and humanity. He cherished a robust conversation over a kitchen table and sought to understand others’ points of view. He was known to spend hours pouring over maps planning his next expedition.

On December 29, 2023 Kimmel was married and sealed for time and all eternity in the Jordan River Temple to Judy Heilpern Eror, the love of his life and friend from his college days. They focused their time together going to grandkids’ piano recitals, choir concerts, ministering to his ward members, and going to the temple where he had performed ordinances for over 800 deceased family members. Kimmel took up baking and made it his goal to be able to prepare a meal (by himself) for the entire family.

He is survived by his wife, Judy; his three children Cooper King, Emma (Matthew) Fife, and Elliot (Valerie) King from a previous marriage to Paralee Patten; three step-children Steven (Melissa) Eror, Jr., Patricia (Patrick) Barnes and Catherine (Michael) Garff; his siblings Tancred (Chau) King and Kermit (Alison) King and 16 adored grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents and his beloved brother Gabriel Guy King.

To know Kimmel was to know a true poet. One of the ways he came to understand himself and express his feelings to others was through poems and lyrics. He leaves behind volumes of poetry about his life, the meaning thereof, and his faith. Just weeks before his unexpected passing, he penned and shared a testimony; its closing lines are offered below:

“With faltering voice I sing, Jesus, the song of Thy redeeming love. With faltering pen, Jesus, I inscribe Thy exalting poetry on the pages of my heart. I have seen Thy works. I have felt Thy love. Though I am prone to wander, quick to question and slow to learn – I testify of the reality of Jesus Christ in the details of life.”

Funeral services will be held at noon on April 2, 2026, at the LDS Wasatch 3rd Ward (2215 E. Roosevelt Avenue in Salt Lake City), with a visitation at the ward building prior to the service from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. To attend virtually, you can click the "Watch Services" button above at the time of the services. Burial will take place the following day, April 3, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. at the St. George City Cemetery on 700 East and Tabernacle St.