Tom Junior King

Tom J. King, 92, of Abilene, passed away on Sunday, January 20, 2019.   Visitation with the family will start at 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, January 23, 2019 at Piersall Funeral Directors, 733 Butternut Street. Funeral service to start at 10:00 a.m. with burial at 11:00 a.m. at the Texas State Veterans Cemetery.

Tom was born in Roby, Texas on September 1, 1926 to Tommie Howard King and Jonnie Weeks King. He lived in Roby and attended all 12 years of school there before going to college for two years. In the middle of his senior year at Roby, he and some of his classmates were drafted and left school early to go to basic training at Camp Roberts and Fort Ord. He married Thorne Rosa Lovett on November 19, 1944.  While being shipped overseas, the war was declared over on August 15th and he was taken to Korea and served two years special duty before returning home. He went into oilfield work in Kermit, Texas and then used the GI Bill to enroll in college at Abilene Christian College.

Tom and Thorne Rosa had four kids; Tommy Jay, Joe Don, Jack Lovett and Janet Carol. He sold fasteners and industrial hardware for years and with his family opened a warehouse named KPRO Inc. He eventually sold the business to his sons and retired. His favorite activities after that were playing golf and watching his kids and grandkids playing their sports in Anson, Jayton, Taylor Elementary, Lincoln Jr High, Abilene High, Jim Ned High and Wylie High.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Tommie and Jonnie King; his wife’s parents, John Thorne Lovett and Roye Tefteller Lovett; his brother-in-law and wife Don Lovett and Bobbie Jane Lovett and their son Roy Lovett; son Tommy Jay King; and daughter-in-law Sharron King.

Tom is survived by his wife Thorne Rosa Lovett King, Joe Don King, Jack Lovett King and wife Jeannie Hazelton King, Janet Carol Wylie and husband Mike Wylie, and many grandkids and great grandkids; his sisters Billie Law and Betty Ann Grice and their children and grandchildren; and nieces Claudia Lovett and Donna Jones and nephew Robert Thorne Lovett.