John William King, Jr, beloved husband of Carol King, passed away on Monday, April 11, 2022. Born in Harrison, Ohio on August 25, 1941, John was the son of the late John William King, Sr. and Virgie Baker. Survived by his wife Carol, 3 children: Cheri King, Brad King, and Kendra May (Mike), 3 grandchildren - [Corey May (Kaylen), Taylor May (Kyle), & Haley May], 1 great grandchild (Grayson May), sister Betty McQueen, 2 brothers: David King and Kenny King (Earlene), as well as nieces, nephews and cousins. John cherished his childhood growing up in Harrison among his loving family and friends. He enjoyed many happy years in Harrison and throughout his life he loved to tell the stories of those memories, growing up in a town he fondly compared to "Mayberry." John attended school in Harrison and became somewhat famous in the 4th grade when the ceiling fell on his head and knocked him unconscious. He thankfully recovered and eventually graduated from Harrison High School in 1959. As class president he regularly organized whole class reunions, meetups with the "Harrison Boys," and visits with former teachers throughout his adult life. John valued those long lasting friendships and made it a priority to reach out to people and keep in touch. Similarly, John reached out to his extended family through the years. He sought out aunts, uncles, and cousins, connecting through phone calls, texts, social media, and visits. The power of connecting with others was always meaningful to him. With encouragement from his dearly loved dad, John became the first member of his family to graduate from college. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Cincinnati in 1964. He then worked in the insurance business with most of his years being at Great American. John was a dedicated employee, but it was the friendships that he formed during those years that were most meaningful to him. Unsurprisingly, he maintained more than one of those treasured friendships into his retirement years. John met his sweetheart, Carol, at J.C. Penny when they were assigned to sell lawn mowers together. They were married on June 10, 1966 and were truly blessed with a wonderful marriage that lasted over 55 years. Theirs was true love from their very first date. As children were born, John became a devoted father who cherished his children. After raising their family, John and Carol enjoyed holding hands and traveling together in their retirement years. John dedicated many hours planning their travels which found them driving all over the country. They particularly enjoyed their annual winter visits to Scottsdale and Sedona, Arizona where John enjoyed hiking among the stunning red rocks. While hiking, John would often strike up conversations with fellow hikers to be sure anyone he met would also find the very best trails. John loved talking to people, and more than once struck up conversations that turned strangers into dear friends of both John and Carol. Whether hiking, exploring, gathering with friends, or spending time with his sweetheart, Carol, John made the very most of each day. There just aren't enough words to describe the kind, patient, gracious, wonderful man who dedicated his life to his family and friends. The relationships that he formed were the most important aspect of his life and guided his daily actions. He looked for the best qualities in every person that he met and always found a way to be optimistic, content, and enthusiastic. If he could find a way to be supportive of another person, he was uplifted to do so. In a gathering of people he was the glue that kept them together. He was inspirational to those who loved him, though too modest for us to ever tell him so. We are sad to say goodbye, but he will be in our hearts and minds forever as we hold onto the love that he shared with us every day. John said over and over how grateful and thankful he was for the life that he had. He hopes that everyone will live their life to the fullest and enjoy every moment, just like he did. In the last few difficult weeks he remained dedicated to his family and focused on comforting those around him. His heart was at peace. John will be lovingly remembered and dearly missed. In lieu of flowers, John offered the suggestion to donate if you feel led to cancer or other medical research. There will be a Celebration of Life service held at a later date yet to be determined