James Clay King

James Clay King passed into the arms of his Savior on February 1, 2023. James was a faithful Christian, Husband, Father, Grandfather, and Coach.  A memorial service will be held Monday, February 6, 2023 at 2:00pm at Hillcrest Church of Christ in Abilene, Texas and will be streamed live at www.hillcrestonline.com/live , under the direction of Piersall Funeral Directors, 733 Butternut Street.

James was born in Crane, Texas on December 8, 1954, to Dorothy Ann King. His younger brother Charles was his best friend. They played baseball, football, basketball, and whatever game they could come across or invent. He especially loved the game of baseball. There was no one more determined to learn the intricacies of the game than him.

James grew up in Dallas, Texas and graduated from Kimball High School. He received his Bachelor of Science at Lubbock Christian College and loved to speak of the day he met his wife Sandy there in 1976. They dated for a couple of years and married March 10, 1979. James received his Masters of Science in Kinesiology from Stephen F. Austin University in 1989. James and Sandy have three wonderful children and lived all over Texas but settled in Abilene. They traveled all over together while James played minor league baseball, coached in high school and college, and led teams all over the world. Sandy was his entire world and loved nothing more than spending time with her.

James loved the game of baseball; he played and coached his entire life. He won countless games and "coaches of the year" but what he was most proud of were his children. His greatest blessing in life was seeing his children give their life to Christ. James was extremely passionate about things and people he loved. He never let a good Hawaiian shirt go and could never let Mexican food go to waste. He loved being with his grandsons and was their biggest fan. He was looking forward to taking his grandsons to the Field of Dreams and would never pass up an opportunity to play catch with them. He is loved and will be missed and cherished all the days of our lives.

James was preceded in death by his mother, Dorothy King of Cedar Hill, Texas and his mother and father-in-law Robert and Jean Gibbs of Mansfield, Texas. James leaves behind his wife of 43 years Sandy King, their son Ryan and his wife Erin King of Ovalo, Texas and their boys Kyler and Paxten, his daughter Tyler and her husband Trent Hinton of York, Nebraska and their boys Callen and Clay, and his son Reyn and his wife Angela King of Abilene, Texas and their boys Tucker and Lucas. He also leaves behind his best friend and little brother Charles King, and his wife Tammy King of Altus, Oklahoma and their children and grandchildren. He leaves behind countless cousins, nieces and nephews.

The family requests any donations be made in memory of James to Christian Services of Abilene, or to the York University Baseball program,1125 E. 8th Street, York, NE 68467, or the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department at Abilene Christian University, ACU Box 28132, Abilene, TX, 79606.