Thomas Lawson King

Thomas Lawson King - Born March 10, 1935, Passed away August 2, 2017

Tom was born in Washington DC and raised in Silver Spring, Md. He attended the University of Maryland, earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering. It was here that he met his wife, Carol. They married in 1959. Tom's engineering career took him and his family to five different companies and eight cities! He began with Glen L. Martin Aircraft in Baltimore and retired as Quality Director for the Welding Division of Pacific Lumber in San Francisco. In between he spent 16 years with various divisions of General Electric, his favorite being the time he spent in the Aero-space group in Valley Forge, PA.

Tom had many hobbies ranging from scuba diving to raising African Violets. He was an exceptional skier and a 30 year active member of National Ski Patrol earning his National Number in the late 1970's. He taught Emergency Medicine to Patrollers and was instrumental in establishing an all - volunteer ambulance service in Trumbull, CT. - he served as an ambulance volunteer for three years. He continued to contribute to his community by becoming a First Aid and CPR Instructor and later as a member of the Walnut Creek CERT program.

Sailing was another of Tom's passions. He started on the Chesapeake Bay and sailed the San Francisco Bay and the Caribbean. When his sons entered Scouting he became an Assistant Scout Master and was later honored with membership in the Order of the Arrow. He also dedicated himself to youth and adult leadership training in the Woodbadge program. Later in life he was a member of Rotary International and served as President of the Walnut Creek Sunrise Club. He also found time for cycling, bike repair, photography and clock repair.

Tom and Carol joined Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church in 2004. There he served as an Usher and was a member of both the First Friday Forum and the One Sunday Team. His proudest LOPC moment was his Ordination last fall as a Deacon of his church.

Tom is survived by his wife Carol, children Scott, Deborah, and Matthew, daughters-in-law Susan and Debra King, son-in-law Nate Ned, grandchildren and extended family Kendra and Makenzie Crossman, Kirsten, Ashley and Tim King, Charlotte and Maddy Berkman, Jordan, Daniel, Jessica, Ben, and Calley Marquez, Whitney Ned, and sister Barbara Hedley.

A Celebration of Tom's Life will be held at 2:00pm on Saturday, September 9th at the Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church.
Donations in Tom's memory may be made to the LOPC One Sunday Fund, LOPC Deacon Fund or to a charity of your choice.