William Vernon King, former husband, father, brother, veteran, dedicated educator and passionate sailor passed away on October 1, 2024. He was 91.

Known as Bill by family and friends, he is the son of Frederick Coggeshall King and Virginia Vernon King of Middletown, RI.

Born in Buffalo, NY, on April 20, 1933, Bill lived in Greenwich, CT as a child with his mother and sister Susan during WWII while his father worked on the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, TN. He was educated at St. George's School in Newport, RI and graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. During college, he participated in the Grenfell Mission, bringing medical and social services to people in remote coastal areas of Labrador, Canada. While at UVA, he met Sally Bradstreet Barton, his roommate's sister, who he later married and began a family that eventually included four sons.

He enlisted in the United States Coast Guard, attending Officer Candidate School and served as an Ensign and ultimately as Lieutenant JG in search and rescue operations based in Boston.

Following a brief career with National Scientific Corporation in Boston, Bill began his lifelong passion for teaching, initially teaching math and science to high-school aged children beginning at Brooks School in North Andover, MA followed by The Pingree School in South Hamilton, MA. Having a midlife change of heart, he pursued a new passion with a master's degree in history of art and architecture from the University of Washington in Seattle. With that he taught at the Annie Wright Schools in Tacoma, WA. All but one of his family members ultimately followed his lead and lived in Seattle for years. His final teaching role was his favorite, teaching history of art and architecture and leading field trips to Venice and beyond with exceptional high school students through the Swiss Semester program in Zermatt, Switzerland for 20 fall semesters. Throughout his teaching career, Bill was generous with his support for students who sought his help, with his stern demeanor belying a sincere willingness to provide caring advice.

When not busy during the school year, Bill spent seven summers overseeing operations as camp director for Flying Moose Lodge, a rustic backpacking and canoeing camp in East Orland, ME.

He was an early adopter of cross-country skiing, enjoying repeat visits to the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont with his family. He added downhill skiing to his family's favorite recreation with much time spent in Waterville Valley, NH. He also enjoyed trout fishing. Bill also counted himself and his family among the early western tourists to visit China in 1981.

Bill could also be found indulging his biggest passion, sailing, from his early days racing off Marblehead, MA with friends on Tsunami, an International 210, to cruising the Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine coasts with his growing family aboard Strathspey and Thais. His happiest place was aboard his beloved Hinckley Bermuda 40, Broad Arrow, which he sailed extensively for 24 years alone and with family and friends in Puget Sound, including the San Juan Islands and Canadian Gulf Islands. He also sailed in Greece, Turkey, the US and British Virgin Islands and the Windward Islands. Competent in celestial navigation, he crossed the Pacific from Honolulu to Vancouver, BC on SSV Robert C. Seamans, a 134-foot steel sailing brigantine. He raced on maxi ocean racer Atalanta in Puget Sound and from Washington State to California and Mexico. Over the years he was a member of both the Eastern Yacht Club in Marblehead, MA and the Seattle Yacht Club.

In his later years Bill moved from Seattle to Topsham, ME, moving to Brooksby Village retirement community in Peabody, MA in 2021.

Bill's hallmarks were his personal integrity, intellectual curiosity, commitment to his students, his ability to endure difficult times, and his love for his family.

He will be missed by his former wife and dearest friend Sally Mann, sons Frederick Hamilton King and wife Lisa of San Diego, CA, George Parker King and wife Wilma of Grand Junction, CO and David Morison King and husband Mark Manley of Charlestown, MA, and grandchildren Kayla Baker Hawksworth and husband Richard of Nampa, ID, Nathan Bradstreet King and wife Ashley of Danville, CA, Alexander Vernon King and wife Kirsten of Seattle, WA and great grandchildren Parker, Hayden and Weston. He is predeceased by son Samuel Seabury King and sister Susan Coggeshall King.

Bill will be interred in the historic St. Mary's Cemetery in Portsmouth, RI, alongside his parents and sister. The family will be arranging private events to honor him.

Donations in his memory may be made to https://coastguardfoundation.org.