Obituary of Joan King

Joan King died on November 20th at Cayuga Medical Center. She was born in Ashurst, England on June 9th, 1929, to Kathleen and Reginald Dyson. Her adolescent and early teen years were spent in the midst of WWII, which instilled an ability to adapt to whatever challenges life presented. She attended secretarial school and worked as a stenographer/typist. She married Michael King in 1952, with whom she had two daughters. In 1965, they moved to Dorval, Canada, which eventually led to a permanent move to Whitesboro, New York. Joan was one of the first women to drive a school bus for the Whitesboro district, which she did for 15 years. She retired to a home built by Michael in Waterville. She enjoyed gardening, and at age 65, she learned watercolor painting, producing many wonderful paintings, especially of flowers. She was also a lifelong master knitter, making many beautiful sweaters and baby clothes for all of her grandchildren, as well as hundreds of newborn hats for the hospital. At age 80, she relocated to Trumansburg, where she lived at Juniper Manor, and then with her daughter, Alison. Her final years were spent at Longview, Ithaca, where she enjoyed many activities, including learning to use a potter’s wheel. Joan was predeceased by Michael in 1995; she is survived by her daughters, Linda (Steve) Gigliotti of Waterville, Alison James of Trumansburg; six grandchildren: Colin (Lisa) Perra, Lisa James, Sarah (Pat) Mazurowski, Sheena (Pat) Moshetti, Amanda Dillon, and Derek (Brittany) James; ten great grandchildren: Taylor, Avery, Cora, Bradley, Mason, Addison, Milly, Logan, Skylar, and Jade; special niece, Joanne Hayes, several other family members locally and in England. Per her wishes, there are no funeral services; a celebration of her life will be private. Joan made friends easily and thrived on activities with others. She was always kind and generous with her grandchildren. She will be missed. Joan King