Kevin King

Kevin Neil King, 64, of Highland, Arkansas, passed away Friday, January 18, 2019, in Jonesboro, Arkansas.  He was born January 20, 1954, in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, to Kenneth Franklin and Mary Virginia (Morris) King, who both preceded him in death.  Kevin was an Eagle Scout and later served on the Eastern Arkansas Boy Scouts of America Council.  He was an active member of the Ash Flat Church of Christ.  He also served on the Board of Mercantile Bank and established the Evening Shade School Foundation.  Kevin was a founding member of the Highland School District Booster Club and worked as Chairman of the Spring River Area Chamber of Commerce Arts and Crafts Show.  He was honored with the SRACC E. Wilson Green Community Service award in 1992. Kevin was a graduate of Highland High School in 1972, the University of Arkansas in 1976, and the University of Arkansas School of Law in 1978. He practiced law and served municipal and district courts for 18 years. For the past 16 years, he had served the counties of Sharp, Lawrence, Randolph, and Jackson as Circuit Judge of the Third Judicial District. Kevin's primary interests always concerned the welfare of people as individuals and what each one might positively contribute to the local community. He encouraged young people by his efforts coaching in baseball and softball leagues for 18 years, and he coached and supervised Pee Wee basketball for 27 years.  Recently he was involved with establishing the Highland Schools Charitable Fund, which is designed to benefit Highland students with needs of all kinds: bus trips, clothes, food, scholarships. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the HSC Fund (Arkansas Community Foundation, 5 Allied Drive, Suite 51110, Little Rock, Arkansas 72202 or dropped at Highland School District Central Office). Kevin is survived by his wife, Lita Carver King; daughter, Kara McEntire and her husband Jeff; son, Kolby and his wife Lindsey, all of Highland; his sister, Deanna (Gregg) Strobbe of Cherokee Village, Arkansas; his brother, Joel (Kim) King of Jonesboro; four grandchildren: Kenzie and Mallory, Easton and Oakley (expected in May); and a multitude of other relatives and good friends.  Services will include visitation from 5 to 8 p.m. Sunday, January 20, and funeral at 2 p.m. Monday, January 21, all in the Ash Flat Church of Christ Family Life Center.  Burial will be in Oaklawn Cemetery at Highland. Pallbearers include Brett Strobbe, Landon Strobbe, Steven White, Preston King, Jeff Jordan, and Joe McEntire. Honorary pallbearers will be Judge Harold Erwin, Judge Michelle Huff, Lamar Wright, Louis Preston, Jimmy Counts, Renee Clay-Circle, Julea Garner, Kerry Wayne Evans, Bob Gotte, employees of the Third Judicial District, and the HHS Class of 1972. Arrangements are with Tri-County Funeral Home of Highland.