Kenneth Lee (Coach) King

Memorial services for Kenneth Lee King will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 3, 2021 at the Avoca Baptist Church with Rev. Les Mims officiating and under the direction of Tankersley Funeral Home.

Kenneth Lee King went to be with his first love and mother of all his children, Jeannette Wertz King, on March 11, 2020. He was affectionately called "Hacha" by his grandchildren and great grandchildren, Coach King by his students, and Ken or Kenny by his long-time friends and basketball teammates. One of the greatest basketball players of all time to grace the courts in Texas, was born on October 26, 1936 to Thomas Walter and Blanche Mauldin. Coach King is the most adventurous, artistic, generous, compassionate, loving, comical, musical, and athletic individual. A larger-than-life man, talented in many ways.

The youngest of three children, he grew up in Avoca, Texas where he lived across the street from the high school where his father was the custodian. Kenny was a member of the “Avoca quintet”, provided a previously unrecognized notoriety to Avoca by being a map-marking basketball team. They traveled to the big city of Austin to win the High School State Basketball Championship in 1955 an accomplishment yet to be repeated. A signature monument stands outside the school today celebrating this great achievement.   He took those relentless, athletic skills and leadership to the basketball court after receiving a full basketball scholarship to attend Texas Christian University (TCU), becoming a proud Horned Frog and acquiring a BS in Physical Education in 1959. There he met Jeannette, and they were married on August 17, 1959- a date concurrent with the great Quake Lake earthquake-certainly a marriage that rocked the world.

Ken was drafted by the United States Army to Fort Campbell, Kentucky where he faithfully served his country. Upon his discharge, he and Jeannette moved to Montana where he became a high school biology teacher, head basketball and golf coach, and assistant football coach. After moving his family to Colorado in the late 1960s to secure the best medical care for his only son, he not only taught but also coached the Jefferson Saints basketball and golf teams in Lakewood, Colorado. A move closer to home in 1982 to care for his father landed him teaching and coaching positions at Wylie ISD. There, he hung up his coaching whistle and retired leaving his autograph on the wall of the Wylie gym by hand painting the Wylie bulldog mascot where it remains there today. He and Jeannette moved back to Montana in 1996. Coach King returned to Texas following her death.

Hacha's greatest pastime was experiencing life with his children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and friends. He also enjoyed engaging in athletic activities and a good political debate and had no hesitation about expressing his beliefs and convictions through targeted letter-writing. He very much loved a competitive game of 42 or, any game for that matter. His artistic ability was unlike no other and he used an array of mediums including canvas, a fence, bottle, trash can or even a napkin. If you were fortunate to receive a handcrafted card, other piece of artwork or perhaps one of his creatively crafted text messages (which he often referred to as “hieroglyphics”) requiring an interpreter to decipher, it is truly a treasure! His greatest athletic joy following basketball was playing golf. He was an avid golfer enjoying a round of golf with his buddies, children or better yet his grandchildren. When asked to recall something special about his dad, his only son said, “he’s a really good golfer”.

He was a self-taught musician who enjoyed picking up the guitar, piano or harmonica to play a tune. His smile and sense of humor were contagious; it wasn’t uncommon for him to be the life of the party. He could be categorized as uncensored during many ball games and certain conversations. He was never inhibited about speaking his mind or telling you if you needed to fix a habit. He could be seen “coaching” from the side lines never hesitating to assist referees by correcting or challenging their calls. He loved life, never met a stranger and although often displayed a tough exterior, he was a marshmallow of a loving man on the inside.

When the love of his life departed in 1999, he was given an amazing gift in Dorothy Simmons. She was his lovingly treasured companion for more than 15 years.

He is survived by his children, Virginia (Ginny) Lynne King, Cynthia Elaine Pearson, Melanie Ruth Carter, Kendall Lee King, Kristine King Larson, and his grandchildren Jeannette Nicole Moralez, David Ryan King, Stephen Kenneth King, Michael Allen Carter, Stacey Lynne Carter, William Kelley King, Macon Levi Pearson, Jon Erik Pearson, Mikaslyn Jeannette Larson, and Magregor Winter Larson. He would refer to “his quiver being full” to the brim with the addition of his 8 great-grandchildren as well as several cousins and cherished friends. He was preceded in death by his wife of 40 years Jeannette King, his grandson Derek Kendall King, his father, Thomas Walter King, his mother Blanche Mauldin, and his sisters, Jean Lester and Wanda Gebhardt.

Dad, Hacha, Coach King-there are not enough words to tell you how much we love you, how grateful we are for how you shaped all of our lives, the huge void we feel that you’ve left us behind, and how immensely you will be missed! Our loss is heaven’s gain and we’re thankful for the promise that we will see you when we get there.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donating in his memory to the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN), TCU Athletic causes or an appropriate charity of the donor’s choice in honor of his life well lived!