March 28, 2024

Everett D. King, Jr.

Posted

Everett D. King, Jr, age 70, of Riverside, was born on December 25, 1950 and passed away on January 11, 2021 after a short battle with cancer. Born and raised in Riverside, he was the son of the late Everett D. King, Sr. and Shirley M. King (Gaunt). Everett was the proud father of son’s Jamie King & Joshua King of Johnston, RI, whom he independently raised after his divorce in 1995 with welcomed support from his gracious mother who he loved and took care of for the remainder of her life. Everett adored his daughter-in-law’s Jesse King (married to Jamie King) and Amanda King (married to Joshua King). He was also a loving and cherished “Grampy” to his two beautiful granddaughters, Madison King Evans and Lucie King. He also had a new grandchild on the way. Everett was also the brother of Toni Leonard (sister) and the late Timothy King (brother). He also leaves behind many nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Everett joined the RI National Guard right after he graduated high school. There, he served 26 years where he started off in Artillery school then transitioned to a Motor Sergeant. There, he was the first to accomplish a full-time agenda on his part-time schedule. He eventually became a Staff Sergeant and held that position until he retired. He received numerous state and unit awards for various projects he participated in.

Losing Everett has been devastating to the vast amount of loved ones in his life. The list of people that loved Everett doesn’t just conclude with his relatives. He was a cherished and devoted friend to so many. Everett was a generous and kind person who always believed in “doing the right thing.” He’d do anything for the people he cared about and he made a positive impact on more lives than he could ever know. His son, Jamie has referred to his father as his role model and one of his best friends. Jamie had the honor of working by his father’s side at Spaulding Brick Co. for 19 years. They were very close and spoke every day. Jamie never left Everett’s side when it came to his care and even in the end, Everett was comforting his son, because that’s just the way he was, he always looked out for his loved ones first.

Celebrating the holidays was something Everett always looked forward to. Thanksgiving and Christmas were spent with his family and he loved giving gifts to EVERYONE, no one was ever left out. Everett was so proud to be a grandfather and it really warmed his heart when he spent quality time with his granddaughters. He would reminisce about the times they would sit him down to have a conversation with him in their little voices. He would never say no to a board game and loved to tease that everyone else was cheating. He was also quick to give bunny ears in pictures and make silly faces when posing for family photos. Everett really enjoyed being playful with his grandchildren and also his grown children. He had a great sense of humor.

Another way Everett liked to spend his time was with shopping. He’d often buy extra items to put away as gifts for upcoming birthdays and holidays. He’d frequently go into the store for a few things but end up there for an hour or so, because he’d always run into multiple people he knew, and would enjoy chatting in the aisles. Another gesture Everett could always be counted on to show that he cared, was by sending greeting cards. Whether it was for birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, he never forgot to send a thoughtful and usually funny greeting card to make someone smile. It’s those little things that you may not realize you will miss so much, until it’s gone. Everett was also a great person to go out to dinner with and enjoy some good laughs. He really liked being social and was always willing to offer his advice and support. He enjoyed watching war documentaries, football games, going to cookouts and most of all, spending time with his family. In his younger years, his hobbies were working on cars and collecting toys. He also enjoyed getting involved in home renovations for his own home and his son’s homes.

Everett was very passionate about his career. He spent 48 years in the building materials industry where he had many titles and various responsibilities such as being a Foreman, a recognized Union Steward, Mechanic, Boom Truck Driver, and Inside & Outside Salesman. He also had the opportunity to work with his own father and brother for some time. During the last 24 years of his career he was employed by Spaulding Brick Co. of Cranston, RI. Many of his relationships with customers, vendors and co-workers quickly grew into friendships and he maintained strong relationships with them throughout the years. In addition to being an expert and respected salesman in the masonry supply industry, he was also very trustworthy to the extent that customers followed him throughout the years because they preferred to deal with him more than anyone else.

Other organizations he volunteered for were the Narragansett Terrace Association, The Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts of America during his son’s involvement and continued to volunteer for many more years.

No amount of words can express the emptiness we feel in our hearts from losing such an amazing human being. Everett selflessly devoted most of his life to organizations that he was passionate about and never asked for anything in return. His commitment to helping others was truly astonishing. We have comfort in knowing that he will always live on through the many memories, photographs and family legacies he’s created.

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, there will be a private service. In the post-Covid-19 future there will be a memorial gathering to celebrate Everett’s life. In lieu of flowers please make an online donation to “Operation Stand Down RI” for homeless and at risk veterans. https://osdri.org/


Share!
Truly local news delivered to every home in town