Thomas King, 93

CHESHIRE, Mass. —  Thomas Raymond "Tom" King, age 93, passed away Sunday, Nov. 28, 2021, in Longwood, Fla.

He was born in North Adams and, throughout his life, had resided in Cheshire, the Pine Lakes community in North Fort Myers, Fla., and, most recently, at Renaissance Retirement Community in Sanford, Fla.

He was predeceased by his parents, Francis and Adele (Betit) King; his sister, Maureen (David) Depew; and his wife of 57 years and true partner in all things, Muriel (Kit) (Hood) King, whom he married on April 23, 1949.

He is survived by his four children, Craig T. (Sylvia) King of Cheshire; Richard F. (Elizabeth "Liz") King of Port Charlotte, Fla.; Tammy (George) Foucher of Deltona, Fla.; and Robyn (Robin) Brant of Orlando, Fla.; his five grandchildren, Joy Aukema of Baldwinsville, N.Y.; Kyle (Rebecca) King of Fairfax Station, Va.; Kevin (Holly) King of Napa, Calif.; Megan (Angelo) Benardo of Summerville, S.C.; and Nick (Patrice) Pello of Hoosick Falls, N.Y.; 10 great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews.

Tom graduated from the former St. Joseph's High School in North Adams in 1946 and immediately enlisted in the regular Army, assigned to HQ company of the 63rd Regiment, as S2 scout in Army Intelligence, serving in Korea during World War II. Upon his return, he began his career as an insurance agent, beginning with the Metropolitan Insurance Agency and then with the Aetna Life Insurance Co. Along with his uncle, Raymond Betit, Tom then purchased the EA French Insurance Agency as an independent insurance agent.

Tom became a well-known and respected member of the North Adams community. He held positions in many service clubs including the Jaycees, the National Exchange Club, the Rotary Club, and the Kiwanis Club. He was instrumental in the Industrial Management Club, he was on boards for the Salvation Army and the YMCA, and he was chairman of the allocation committee for the United Way. He was instrumental in every aspect of the Fall Foliage Festival, serving as parade director, assisting with the Drum Corps Competition, instituting the air show, and, for many years, announcing the parade from the grandstand on Main Street. In 1968, he was named grand marshal of the parade. He also served as local camping chairman and North Berkshire District director of the Boy Scouts of America.

After many years at the helm of EA French Insurance Agency, Tom sold the agency to Michael A. Deep. He retained his own life insurance and pension trust business and continued as the administrator of the Carpenters and Plumbers Local Union insurance funds. He then began his second career as the executive director of the Northern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce.

Tom was a parishioner of the former St. Francis of Assisi Church in North Adams and of All Souls Catholic Church in Sanford, Fla.

Tom will be remembered for many things – his curiosity and interest in everything, his ambition and work ethic, his commitment to his community, his love of traveling (to Hawaii, England, Ireland, Italy, Greece, Venezuela, Germany, wherever, always with Kit by his side), his eager willingness to participate in any of Kit’s ideas, his sentimentality when watching a good movie, his unique ability to putter around the house for hours on end, and his wonderful gift of gab.

FUNERAL  NOTICE: A Celebration of Life service will be held in the spring in Massachusetts. Arrangements will be handled by Flynn & Dagnoli-Montagna Home for Funerals. To add to the Book of Memories, please visit www.flynndagnolifuneralhomes.com.