Richard King Jr Obituary

Richard Jay King, Jr. , 71, of Hattiesburg, passed away following an accident on Monday, October 2, 2023. Born and reared in Fort Payne, Alabama, Mr. King graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in Engineering. He was an electrical engineer and retired as the Plant Manager for Leaf River Cellulose. Richard was known for mentoring young engineers all throughout this career. Following his retirement, he was a sought-after consultant in the papermill industry working across the Southeast and spent time working on various "engineering" projects around his home and neighborhood. He could design or fix anything. A devoted and loving husband and father, Richard was an avid outdoorsman and loved rebuilding and riding motorcycles, bicycling on the Longleaf Trace with friends, hunting, and fishing. He was an excellent cook, and one of his favorite pastimes was smoking meat on his Big Green Egg. He was a sports enthusiast and especially enjoyed following his beloved Alabama Crimson Tide. Richard was preceded in death by his parents, Richard and Ivanette King and one brother, Michael King. He is survived by his wife, Debra Ann King; his son and daughter-in-law, Colin, and Melissa King; and one granddaughter, Dove King. Richard's life and his accomplishments reflected his joy and zeal for living, and he lived his life to the fullest. A celebration of Richard's life and contributions will be held at a later time.