gt1973 
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Posts: 1677
(10/18/04 1:39:05 pm )
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|  Kim King Memorial Service Recap
Here is a brief recap of today's service for those of you who could not attend this morning.
Since I wrote a post after Coach Hyder's funeral called A View From The Pew, I made a special effort to make a mental note of today's ceremony so I could share it with my friends on The Hive. However, we have to quit meeting like this!
I attended the service for Coach Dodd in AMC almost 20 years ago, and I think this was only the second such service held at AMC. Maybe Dr. Pettit's service was there too, now that I think about it. I am guessing that there may have been about 1000 people there. Two large floral arrangements made up of yellow gold long stem roses and regular yellow long stem roses flanked the lecturn and a large blow up photo of #18 of what must have been his senior year yearbook picture.
When the service began, the family and speakers walked out to mid court. Gail King, Kim's wife, carried a silver urn with Kim's ashes and placed it on a white linen draped table in front of the speaker's platform.
Appropriately, it was a solemn and dignified tribute to a great man, not just a great Tech man, but to a man who was truly larger than life, if simply for the way he lived his life. It was an unselfish life, one full of compassion, of service and a love of family, friends, and of Georgia Tech. The fact that Kim King was so successful in business was a by-product of the can do, never give up attitude of hope and optimism that spilled out from him onto everyone he came in contact with. Even in his final days, his spirit maintained this positive demeanor and comforted those around him.
Bill Curry moderated the program with great poise and class. I have seen Coach Curry speak from a church pulpit several times, and he would make a great preacher and minister.
Father Paul Keriotis opened the service with a brief tribute and a prayer. David Butler, a friend of Kim's since kindergarten shared some memories and some humor about their life long relationship. We should all be so lucky to have a friend for life like that!
Wes Durham spoke next and made us all feel better with his Tech related anecdotes of his ten years with Kim. Wes even greeted me when I arrived to AMC early this morning with a "Well, it is that other Calvin Johnson!" By the way, Wes looks great (needs a new suit) because he has lost 30-40 pounds over the summer!
Next up was former Governor Roy Barnes, a business associate of Kim's and then Kim's brother in law, Al Pearson. Both of them had some great family stories that included multiple generations of dealing with Kim & Gail King and their families. If there was a theme today, it was how much family and loyalty meant to Kim King.
The service concluded with heartfelt tributes from Beau King, Kim's only son and a tear jerker from Angela King Karatassos, Kim's eldest daughter, who is married to the son on noted Atlanta restauranteur, Panos Karatassos (Pano's & Paul's, 103 West, Pricci, etc). Angela read the 23rd Psalm and then quoted her father from the last tape recording he had made for the family. One could not help but feel the love flowing throughout this family.
After some brief closing remarks from Coach Curry, a small brass ensemble came out of the player's tunnel and played Ramblin' Wreck while the audience stood and sang. Then a lone trumpeteer remained and played Taps.
May God bless The Young Lefthander and his family today and forever.
Amen.
PS
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that friends remember Kim King by making a contribution to the Kim King Foundation, used to support educational opportunities for residents and schools in Atlanta's West End community, where Kim grew up.
Please send contributions to:
Kim King Foundation
Midtown Bank & Trust Company
712 West Peachtree Street
Atlanta, GA 30308
404.969.4400
Edited by: gt1973 at: 10/18/04 5:25:47 pm
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BeeWin
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Posts: 804
(10/18/04 2:22:43 pm )
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| Thanks a lot , excellent recap***
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GTRambler
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Posts: 313
(10/18/04 3:09:01 pm )
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| A wonderful report. Thank you so much.***
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logywonzy
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Posts: 68
(10/18/04 3:11:05 pm )
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| Thanks for that moving recap
I truly felt like I was there. God Bless the King family and the entire GT nation. What a great Tech man and what a great life.
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wreckm
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Posts: 247
(10/18/04 3:20:44 pm )
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| You captured the moment and feeling exactly!!
Thank you for the well worded recap.
I had the privlege of attending and it meant a lot to that long gone 11 year old whose first GT game was quarterbacked by Kim King. Back then it was easy to identify Kim as the role models and hero's for us. A lot of year's and memories later he and his life have stood the test of time as proven by today's testimonials.
The testimony to faith and character were especially comforting to hear.
Good Bless the Kim and his family! |
GTwig63
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Posts: 205
(10/18/04 3:58:27 pm )
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| It Was A Very Moving Service...
There were lots of sniffles and eye wiping where I was sitting...The references to all the southwest Atlanta landmarks of Kim's youth - including Kirkland's Drug Store, E. L. Connally grammar school, Brown High School and John A. White golf course - were especially moving to those of us who grew up in that area of town in the golden years of the 1950's and 1960's... |
doogie22 
Mr Victoria Sr
Posts: 1970
(10/18/04 5:37:41 pm )
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| Kim King Guest Book
sign the guestbook if you haven't already...Here is the Link...
Kim King Guestbook
Thoughts and prayers go out to the King family!  
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ohiojacket
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Posts: 304
(10/18/04 7:41:14 pm )
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| Yes, nice recap. I was there also and I was very ...
... impressed by Angela's remarks. She stated that she did not have any prepared remarks so she just spoke from her heart, and she did so beautifully. She is obviously a strong woman as well; I don't know if I could have controlled my emotions the way she did, which was impressive considering the ground that she covered. I perked up when she mentioned how Kim was touched, literally, while he was lying in his bed in Arkansas and that apparently provided him some peace and solace.
Yeah, CJ, the way the other CJ is playing, you may be forever known as the other CJ! :-) |
FortValleyGW
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Posts: 8
(10/19/04 2:03:02 am )
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| Thanks so much for this...
I felt like I was there. I was especially glad Coach Curry was the moderator. In his heart, he's always been a Tech man. Even when he went to Bama, he stayed a Tech man. That's why they didn't accept him over there. He needs to be back in the upper echelons of the Tech community in a big way. Whether he was a great football coach or not, he's a great Tech man and has a lot to offer that we need, especially now that we've lost Kim. Also, I'm so glad everyone sang The Rambling Wreck. I can never sing it at emotional times without crying. God bless Kim King and his family, and God bless the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets! And this "To Hell With Georgia!" is for Kim! |
5153yj14
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Posts: 364
(10/19/04 12:08:33 pm )
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| gt1973, did you notice if any of kim's "advesaries"
in attendance to pay tribute...such as ex-coaches or players that competed against him/tech?
appreciate your recap! |
gt1973
Registered User
Posts: 1678
(10/19/04 12:59:26 pm )
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| I sat with Hiver bturtle, CFO of the Capital City Club......
........who told me that even the Ugag members of their Finance Committee had worn gold ties to their early morning meeting and then over to AMC in honor of Kim King, a former member of their committee. Nice touch! Edited by: gt1973 at: 10/19/04 1:00:04 pm
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confederatebuzz 
Registered User
Posts: 2387
(10/21/04 3:38:07 pm )
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| Nice recap........
Saint Peter just got a good one.
God bless Kim, and the King family.  
Just before the battle, the Gen'ral hears a row,
He says "The Yanks are coming, I hear their rifles now"!
He turns around in wonder, and what do you think he sees?
The Georgia Militia -- eating goober peas!
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