William Bill Russell King

He closed his eyes around 12:15 am and opened them in Heaven in the arms of Jesus.

Bill was born in Washington, D.C., on June 22, 1938, to William M. King and Virginia S. King. He was preceded in death by his parents. Bill is survived by his wife, Joan M. King, his brother, Dr. Kenneth King, and his wife, Linda, and their two children, as well as Bill's brother and sister-in-law, Jack and Mitzy McEvoy and their son and daughter-in-law, Aaron and Judy McEvoy.

He was also blessed with two children and their families: Kristie King Caviness, husband Randall Caviness and Rusty King, wife Missy King, and two grandchildren, Madison and Matthew King.

He spent his childhood in Alexandria, Virginia, and then attended Virginia Military Institute. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in engineering in 1960.

After VMI, he went to Fort Sill for artillery training. In the summer of 1961, he spent time in the DFW area, specifically on Lake Grapevine. There, he met his wife of 62 years, Joan McEvoy King. They were promptly engaged after only 14 dates. Bill's mother, Virginia, said she was 'the one' because he let her drive his beloved car. They were married on October 7, 1961, in Perkins Chapel on the Southern Methodist University campus in Dallas, Texas.

After their marriage, they settled briefly in Baltimore, Maryland. They then returned to Texas, where he was a manufacturer's representative with McEvoy and Askew for auto and trucking parts and handled the Houston/Gulf Coast region.

Bill and Joan moved to Houston and settled in the Sharpstown area. They decided to adopt a child. In July 1966, they received a call that would change their lives. The Homes of St. Marks had a baby girl for them. Kristie Lynne King was born July 16, 1966, and was adopted just five days after she was born.

A second call was received in June 1968, and they had a new baby boy, William Robert King (Rusty), born on June 20, 1968.

As the children grew, they participated in all the area sports, including soccer. Rusty played for the St Francis de Sales soccer organization, and Bill found his love of the game there. He became a coach to Rusty's teams and began refereeing. He was also a state soccer coach and traveled around the state to train others to coach and referee soccer for all ages. He coordinated and assigned the referees in the Houston area for various soccer clubs in addition to refereeing games himself.

All of this is in addition to being a highly successful commissioned salesman. While most of his career was spent with McEvoy & Askew, he finished his career with the Sloan Company.

Bill was active in his church home, Gethsemane Methodist Church, for many years. He was a choir member, led Sunday School classes, and helped maintain the church when needed.

In 2003, he and Joan moved to Missouri City, Texas, and bought a home on Lake Olympia. He moved his church home to Sugar Land Methodist, where he was active in the choir, Sunday School, and prison ministry. In addition to the church, Bill was very active with Bible Study Fellowship. He enjoyed studying the Bible and always had devotionals and notes scattered over the breakfast table.

Bill was an avid Houston Astros fan and did not want to miss a game, even if he fell asleep during part of it. He and Joan enjoyed traveling together on cruises to Alaska, Hawaii, and the east coast. He also loved golf! He'd watch training videos for hours, hoping to perfect his game.

Perhaps his most notable interest was his love of magic. Bill has been a magician since he was a kid. He would share stories about saving his money and riding on a bus to get downtown to visit the magic shop and see what was new that he could purchase and then master. He performed at children's birthday parties and children's hospitals, and he had a short stint at Dave and Busters doing close-up magic with coins and cards. He was active in the Houston Association of Magicians and enjoyed spending time honing his craft.

Always kind and quick-witted, Bill was easygoing and easy to love. He made an impact on everyone he met, whether he knew you personally or not. His claim to fame was calling his friends and family on their birthdays and singing the Happy Birthday chorus, including the addition to the end with '…and many more.'

At his last hospital stay, the discharge nurse said he was a 'precious soul' and charming and funny. He had smiling blue eyes and walked very fast. He had a knack for putting people at ease.

He has been restored. His heart is no longer weary since he fought the good fight. Matthew 25:21, 23

Bill's funeral service will be held Saturday, March 9, 2024, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, 13001 Katy Fwy, Houston, Texas.

If you'd like to contribute to his favorite ministry, please go to www.sugarlandmethodist.org under - GIVE and Give Now.

Select the 'MEMORIALS' Fund

Then, enter BILL KING in the Optional Memo box to the right.

All memorials marked for Bill King will go to the prison ministry.