Terry N. King's Obituary
Terry N. King, 78, of Punta Gorda, passed away peacefully at his home with his family at his side on Tuesday, July 2, 2019. He was born July 18, 1940 in Indianapolis, IN, the son of John and Kathryn (Yohe) King. He and his wife moved to Florida from Chicago, IL in 1973.Mr. King proudly served the United States Army during the Vietnam War Era. He was a member of St. Andrew Catholic Church and a member / officer of the F.R.G. Blinded Veterans Association.Terry was an advocate for the blind and blinded veterans for over 50 years. He served on the Board of Directors with the Florida Regional Group of the Blinded Veteran’s Association in the capacity of Florida State President for at least 12 years. Most recently serving as State President from 2017-2018. He also served on the Florida Rehabilitation Council for the Blind as a representative of the Blinded Veteran’s Association for two terms under then Governor Jeb Bush.Terry was one of the original founders of the Lighthouse of SWFL, Inc., formerly known as The Visually Impaired Persons of SW Florida, founded in 1974. Although Terry was blind, he never let that stop him or define him. He was a master at building, gardening, captaining a boat, fishing, teaching, mentoring and the list goes on and on. A definite role model for anyone who came in contact with him. His only limitation was driving a car as they don’t YET issue licenses to the blind.Terry is survived by his loving wife of 56 years, Joanne D. King; his children: Karen King Tomlinson (Dean) of Punta Gorda and Tom King (Chris) of Cape Coral; his grandchildren: Jennifer (Zach), Jason and Michael (Tiana); his great grandchildren: Caleb, Evan, Kaiden, Jacob and Michael Jr.; his siblings: Stan King (Erna), Donny Lauderbaugh (Rosie), Raymond Lauderbaugh, Marie Bivens (Walt) and Jan Alexander (Bill). He was preceded in death by 2 children: Susan Ann King in 2017 and Donald Eric King in 1977.A visitation for family and friends will be held from 2 –5 PM Sunday, July 7, 2019 in the chapel ofFort Myers Memorial Gardens Funeral Home. Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 AM Monday, July 8, 2019 at St. Andrew Catholic Church, 2628 Del Prado Blvd. S., Cape Coral with Military Burial Honorsconducted by the U.S. Armyfor all to attend in Fort Myers Memorial Gardens Cemetery.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to FRG-BVA (www.frgbva.org) or to the ALS Association (Lou Gehrig’s disease) at: www.alsa.org. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Fort MyersMemorial Gardens Funeral Home, 1589 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33907, 239-936-0555. To share a story or memory of Terry, please visit his memorial webpage at: www.fortmyersmemorial.com.
What’s your fondest memory of Terry?
What’s a lesson you learned from Terry?
Share a story where Terry's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Terry you’ll never forget.
How did Terry make you smile?