John King

   John David King, 89, passed away surrounded by love and family on January 31st, 2026.  He was born January 24, 1937 in Chicago, IL and grew up in New York, NY and Clinton, IA.  He made his way to Drake University where he met his wife and best friend, Phyllis.  John and Phyllis were married on December 26, 1959 and together they shared 66 years of friendship and love.  They spent the first 40 years in Bettendorf, IA raising their family.

   John will be missed greatly by those he left behind, including his wife Phyllis King, his son David (Kim) King, son Scott (Maria) King, and daughter Catherine (Mike) Burmeister.  In addition to his children, he leaves behind 8 grandchildren- John King, Christopher (Wendy) King, Jamie (Kaman) Simmons, Erika King, Madison (Michael) King-Vasquez, Brady King, Meghan Burmeister, and Peter Burmeister.  He also had one great grandson, Eugene King.

   John’s passion and career was photography.  He owned his own studio and specialized in commercial and wedding photography.  However, it is his beautiful, artistic pictures that his family will cherish.  Outside of work he enjoyed karate, skiing, camping, scuba diving, and most recently carving.  His favorite passion was travel. John and Phyllis immersed themselves in that when they both retired in 2000, sold their house, purchased an RV, and traveled around North America for 8 years.  After traveling they settled in Florida for the next 10 years, back to Iowa for 4 years, and recently moved to St. Paul’s retirement facility in South Bend, IN, where they settled in quickly to it’s open and friendly community.

   For those who knew John best, he will be remembered for his humor and wit, and an exterior that may have been a little tough but covered a huge heart.

   As we say goodbye, we celebrate the lasting impact of his love, laughter, and strength.

   A celebration of life will be held in John’s honor at a later date.

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