Cleo King Obituary

Cleo F. King, 87, passed away on January 15, 2007, in Colorado Springs. He was born in Brewer, Maine on September 2, 1917 to William J. and Josephine P. King. He graduated from Brewer High School and Husson College (Bangor, Maine). He joined the Army in 1941 as a 1st Lieutenant and served with the U.S. Third Army under General Patton in Europe. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Air Medals and was honorably discharged in 1945 as a Major with the 203rd Field Artillery. He joined New York Life Insurance Co. in 1945 and retired from the company in 1982 as General Manager of the Maine General Office in Portland. He was active in leadership roles in community and professional organizations throughout his life, i ncluding President of the Portland, Maine, Rotary Club, President of the Vermont Jaycees, Regional VP of the NY State Association of Life Underwriters, and trustee for St. Pascal's Church in West Monroe, LA. He was married on June 22, 1942 to Marie DiStefano of Natchez, Mississippi. They were married for 64 years and lived for many of those years in Cape Elizabeth, Maine and West Monroe, Louisiana, before moving to Colorado Springs in 2005. Mr. King was an accomplished jazz pianist. At 16, he started a dance band in Maine and for many years until joining the Army, led the band on numerous engagements throughout the state. He continued playing piano and organ in a variety of venues throughout his life, to the great enjoyment of his family and friends. He was also an eloquent writer, chronicling the major events of his and his family's life in poems and essays. He is survived by his wife, Marie King, and 4 daughters and sons-in-law: Katherine and Robert Mead of Morrison, CO; Stephanie King and David Churlik of Livermore, CA; Diane and Gary Hassig of Colorado Springs, CO; and Christine and Larry Stell of Brentwood, CA. He is also survived by 9 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Dorothy M. Wurmlinger of Michigan. Visitation will be on Friday, January 19, at 9:00 a.m. at Swan-Law Funeral Home, followed by a service at 10:00 a.m. Burial will be in Natchez, Mississippi.