Donald Byrum King, “Skip” of Rochester, St. Thomas and VA, passed away peacefully on Tuesday July 23rd, 2024, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. Surrounded by his loving family.
Skip was the 2nd child born to his parents Donald and Nathalie King of Norfolk, VA. He was born on Wheelus Air Force Base in Tripoli, Libya, North Africa. Skip was named before his birth by the many navy friends on the base who constantly asked, “when is the little Skipper to be born?” Upon his birth, his parents and his sister Joyce called him Skipper.
Skip grew up in Maidenhead England and Norfolk Virginia. He attended The Windsor School in the UK, Coleman Place Elementary, Blair Middle School and was a graduate of Mathew Fontaine Maury High School in Norfolk, VA, class of 1968. He attended Old Dominion University and graduated with a BS in Sociology in 1972. During the Vietnam War Skip served in US Marine Corp Reserves, serving honorably from 1969 – 1972.
He cherished life. He loved his family more than anything and his family loved him the same. Through his kind nature and enjoyable personality, he earned a deep and loyal friend network that any man would envy. He touched many lives very deeply.
His most revered accomplishment was as a supportive and loving husband to Andrea. Their romance began in 1988, they were married at St. Thomas Reformed Church in 1991 and they shared an incredible partnership as teammates in business and in life for 37 years. Skip and Andrea never tired of facing the challenges of their career and personal life together, drawing inspiration and strength from one another every day, every step of the way. It was a love story they both knew to be a blessing from God, and they believed they would endure anything if they remained by each other’s side. This devotion to one-another never waned and sustained them both throughout Skip’s unexpected illness and untimely passing. Skip and Andrea were, unequivocally, each other’s biggest fans.
Survived by Andrea King, his loving and devoted wife of 33 years, his daughter Grace Isabella King of St. Thomas, VI, his son Nathan King and daughter-in-law Lauren Cryan of Wilmington, NC, and other loving family members: sister Joyce Humphrey’s and brother in-law Larry Humphreys of Seaford VA, Nephew Ross Humphreys and family of Seaford VA, Nephew Kevin Humphreys and family of Seaford, VA, Sister and brother in law Elise and Ty Taylor of Rindge, NH, Nephews Jack and Christopher Taylor of Rindge, NH, Brother and sister-in-law Ted and Kelly Weygand of Attleboro, MA as well as many other nieces and nephews to include: Michael, Sarah and Jay Weygand, Christian, Meg, Olivia, Sam and Ben Kiley, and many cousins and extended family in Amarillo TX and Virginia. Skip is survived by his loving island rescue dogs Mani and Brock.
A celebration of life will be held on Skip and Andrea’s 33rd wedding anniversary, at the St. Thomas Reformed Church, St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands on August 24th, 2024, at 10:00am. On Sunday August 25th Skip’s ashes will be spread over the Virgin Island waters that he sailed and loved so well. A Celebration of Skip’s life will be held in his home state of Virginia in the fall, with details to be determined.
In Lieu of flowers, we encourage donations be made to www.pancan.org in Skip’s name to help others afflicted with pancreatic cancer. A scholarship fund Skip’s name will be established for a high school senior in the Eudora Kean High School ROTC program, Red Hook St. Thomas. Please visit www.warehamvillagefuneralhome.com
