Kenneth King

Kenneth Felix King, age 85, died at home Sunday, December 26, after a long illness. He was born October 13, 1936, in Nashville, GA, to Leroy King and Sara Rebecca Lott King of Berrien County. He was a a 1955 graduate of Berrien County High School, a graduate of South Georgia Technical College in Americus, GA, and a Glennville businessman for over 60 years.

Mr. King’s most recent and longest lasting business endeavor was as the owner of King’s of Glennville, a furniture and appliance retail store in downtown Glennville since 1977. But his sense of civic spirit has pervaded a number of aspects of the life of the city since his arrival here in 1958 when he rented a room at the Glennwanis Hotel, owned at the time by his future mother in law, Eula Mae Luke. He has served as President of the Glennville Lions Club where he was named Lion of the Year in 2011, the Glennville Merchants and Professionals Association, and the Glennville Chamber of Commerce where he was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. He maintained a steady and wide reaching presence for many years on the Glennville Sweet Onion Committee and was instrumental in organizing its televised parade coverage, and served an auxiliary police officer and as the chief of the volunteer fire department for many years.

His work with the First Baptist Church of Glennville was also wide reaching, serving as a deacon, Sunday School teacher, an audio technician, and with the youth group for decades until failing health prevented his participation there.

Mr. King is preceded in death by his wife of 59 years,  Charlotte Luke King, and survived by their children Sara (John) Pilger of Decatur, GA, Jane (Tyron) Joyner and Chris King of Glennville, brothers Johnny (Marie)King, and Tommy (Rhonda) King both of Berrien County, grandchildren Eric (Karalea) Pilger, Brendan (Stephanie) Pilger, Nick Pilger, Luke (Taylor) Joyner, Jessica (Ryne) Huggins, and great grandchildren Jacob and Oliver Pilger, Clara Jean Pilger, Charli Grace Joyner, and Kallen and Kennon Huggins.

A public graveside service is planned for 11 a.m., Wednesday, December 29, at Glenville City Cemetery, followed by casual visitation with the family on the cemetery grounds. In lieu of flowers, contributions are requested for Friends of the Glennwanis Hotel, P.O. Box 283, Glennville, GA 30427 and First Baptist Church, Glennville, 321 W. Barnard St, Glennville, GA 30427.

Pallbearers will be grandsons, Brendan Pilger, Nick Pilger, and Luke Joyner, grandson-in-law, Ryne Huggins, friend, Ricky Bradley, and neighbor, Jayden Grimes.

Care and services are entrusted to Brannen-Kennedy Funeral Home of Glennville, Georgia.