Obituaries : Allan Donald King

Allan Donald King, 93, passed away peacefully at his home in Ahwahnee, CA, on January 6, 2021. Always a gentleman, he had a warm smile, a strong work ethic, and a lifelong devotion to serving others inspired by his Christian faith.

Allan was born January 20, 1927, to Forrest and Bertha King, farmers in Vinton, Iowa. In 1951, he married Barbara Decker of Mason City, Iowa, and they took up farming. Four years later, he earned the "Outstanding Young Farmer" distinction from the Vinton Junior Chamber of Commerce.

In 1957, Allan and Barbara moved west to settle in Mariposa County, CA, where Allan was ranch manager for Lush Meadows Ranch. Raising three daughters and a son, the Kings later lived in Madera and finally Ahwahnee. Allan worked various jobs, including ones with Sherman Thomas Farms and Valley Nitrogen Products.

Over the years, Barbara and Allan collected vintage clothing, ultimately amassing more than 300 pieces. They enjoyed presenting vintage fashion shows, and they wove in testimony to their Christian beliefs. The clothing was housed in the King Vintage Museum until Allan donated the collection to Yosemite High School's Theater Department in 2017.

Allan was an ardent fan of local high school sports teams. A former high school athlete himself, he attended scores of games over the years and served as volunteer timekeeper for several sports.

For decades, Allan and Barbara were active in the nondenominational Message of Life Ministry, which published and distributed Bible-study material in Spanish to churches around the world. Allan continued to box and ship materials well into his 80s, a true labor of love.

The Kings opened Dayna's Place, a nonprofit youth center, in Oakhurst in 1985. Named for their daughter, who died in a car accident at age 17, it operated for seven years and hosted Yosemite High's first Sober Grad Nights. Allan went on to be a sponsor of the event.

Allan was preceded in death by his wife and his daughter, Dayna King. Survivors include his son Blair King (Nancy Adams) of Coronado, CA; daughter Kerry Neufeld (Cliff) of Ahwahnee; daughter Tracee Pettee (Darrell) of Kingman, AZ; 10 grandchildren; a handful of great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

Memorial gifts may be made to an organization of the donor's choice.