Raymond Arthur King

Our Dad was born on September 19th, 1944, in Salt Lake City, Utah to Arthur William King and Fay Watson King. He passed away unexpectedly, after a fall on May 3rd, 2022, at the age of 77, at the Inova Fairfax hospital in Falls Church, Virginia with our Mom, Gaye Wood King holding his hand and his brother Brad at his side.

Mom and Dad traveled to Alexandra, Virginia to attend his sister’s funeral. Dad had been asked to speak, which surprisingly he kept close to the time limit. Dad mentioned him being the pesky little brother that often stole the spotlight from his sister. Well, Dad may have stolen the thunder from his sister on the day of her funeral. After her service the family went to pick up dinner where Dad fell, hitting his head and a short time later leaving this world.

Dad crossed over and was met by our Grandparents, Arthur and Fay King, his recently passed sister Karen Ketch and Granddaughter Symphonie Wheeler. Dad is now watching over his longtime love of 52 years, our amazing Mother, Gaye King. His six children starting with Hawni (Dan) Reynolds. Creighton (Tonya) King. Brandon (Heather) King. Harmonie (Marc) Wheeler. Elizabeth (Alex) Reichert. Rebecca (Brad) Marshall. Dad will be keeping busy watching over his 18 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren, his Brother Brad (Mary Ann) and many nieces and nephews.

Dad graduated class of 63’ from Olympus High School. Due to the Vietnam War Dad shipped out to Basic Training the day after Graduation, where he started his distinguished military career with the Utah National Guard. Following Basic Training Dad served a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Gulf States Mission.

After his mission he attended Utah technical college where Dad became a surgical technician. Later while attending BYU Dad joined the BYU Folk Dancers, where he met a tall, skinny, beautiful young women. On July 21st, 1969, the evening Neal Armstrong walked on the moon, our Dad proposed to our Mother while sitting in his Volkswagen Bug looking at the moon. On September 5, 1969, weeks after mom said “Yes”. They were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple for time and all eternity.

As newlyweds they began their life together and started their family with the birth of their first child in 1971. Dad later graduated as a Registered Nurse from Weber State University. He graduated among a sea of women in 1975. He later earned his Bachelors of Science in Nursing from the University of Utah. As our family grew with a new child every two years or less, Dad started working more to pay for us kids and provide a good life. Dad continued serving in the Utah National Guard where he served the majority of his time as an RN in the 144th evac. hospital. Dad retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2004 after serving many humanitarian missions all around the world and serving in the Desert Storm war. Dad loved all the men and women he served with during his 20 years with the Utah National Guard.

Dad started his health care career working for Community Nursing Services as their first male nurse. He finished out a full career and retired from Intermountain Health Care in 2011. He worked at the old Primary Children’s hospital till it was torn down and continued at the new Primary Children Hospital. Dad worked in the Newborn ICU for many of his years at Primary’s. He worked at LDS hospital in surgery and later at the Taylorsville Instacare. While serving in the guard and working full time for Intermountain Health Care, Dad worked part-time and sometimes full-time for FHP hospital and Decker Lake Youth Correctional facility as an RN. Dad was a great provider. After retirement and until the day he died, dad kept his Registered Nursing license active and volunteered at several clinics including the Maliheh Clinic. He also spent countless hours serving the Lord at the Jordan River Temple.

As if working 80-100 hours per week isn’t enough Dad built an airplane in our garage. Yep, he built a Super Cub bushplane. Sometimes, Dad would bring the Super Cub to school for show and tell. Dad purchased a Tripacer while building the Super Cub at home and became a private pilot. Dad passed on his love of flying and other hobbies to his children. Dad enjoyed growing corn in the back yard and raising his chickens that provided eggs for the whole family and all his neighbors. Dad loved all of his kids and enjoyed spending time with us during our annual EAA Oshkosh and Easter Jeep Safari vacations, along with any other time dad had a couple days off. He would pack us all up, and whether or not we wanted to go, we went on a road trip. Dad taught all of his children how to work hard, give service, love of country, drive a stick shift, use power tools, fly, build, 4 wheel drive, weld, shoot, take care of cars, garden, love the Lord and do cool stuff. Dad would say “remember who you are”, whenever we left the house, which reminded all of us of our great worth, as children of our Heavenly Father.

Thank you Dad for always loving us kids. Thank you for always having your beeper on, no matter how much we paged you, you always came. Thank you for always loving your wife, our Mother. Lastly, Thank you for being a great example. We couldn’t have wished for a better father.

We will be gathering around our father this Friday, May 13th, 2022, for a viewing at the Larkin Mortuary - Riverton from 1800-2000 hours (Military time for Dad) located at 3688 W. 12600 S. Riverton. Dad’s service will be held on Saturday May 14th, 2022, at 1100 hours located at 3650 W. 4400 S. West Valley City. There will be a short viewing just prior to his service starting at 0930 hours. Interment will be at the Salt Lake City Cemetery with Military Honors following the funeral services.

To view the previously held funeral services, please click the "Watch Services" link above.