Jennie King Obituary (1949 - 2020) - Bloomington, Illinois

Bloomington - Jennie R. King, 71, passed away peacefully at her home in Bloomington on June 11, 2020 after a long illness. She was born March 9, 1949 in Cleveland, Ohio, the only child of Donald and Josephine Richard. She is survived by her husband of 49 years, Scott, their son, Geoffrey (Ben LeClair), of Bartlett, IL, and cousins in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and North Carolina. From her childhood in Cleveland, Jennie shared memories of her grandparents who lived upstairs, the family flower shop, ice skating on the Rocky River, family outings to Marblehead and Catawba islands near Sandusky, and the magnificent Christmas tree in the Sterling-Linder department store. She started violin lessons at the Cleveland Institute of Music at a young age and enjoyed attending concerts, recitals, and theater productions with her parents. Her interest in music led her to Oberlin College where she studied Art History and English Literature. At Oberlin she eventually encountered, and was then courted by, Scott King of Bloomington, Illinois. They were married May 22, 1971 on the campus. Years later, she passed her love of music to her son, Geoff, who excelled at both piano and violin. Early in her working career Jennie authored elementary school textbooks. Later she served as Director of Admissions for an MBA program at Simmons College in Boston. After relocating to Bloomington-Normal in 1978, she worked in Financial Aid at ISU, and then as a free-lance writer for several local publications. She regarded raising her son Geoff as the most important, engaging, and fulfilling work of her life. Jennie was active in the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Bloomington-Normal for more than 30 years, serving three terms as president of the congregation. She read widely and enjoyed writing poetry to share with close friends. She was an enthusiastic and creative cook, a talented photographer, and took great pleasure in tending her many plants, indoors and out. She was well-informed, articulate, witty, and not afraid to share her ideas with others. Finally, she would like us to remember that, in her prime, she often completed the NYT Sunday crossword puzzle on Sunday. Due to current Covid-19 restrictions, a memorial service for Jennie will be conducted at a later date. Memorial gifts may be directed to: Jennie R. King Scholarship Fund (Heartland Community College Foundation), Pratt Music Foundation (Illinois Wesleyan University), Unitarian-Universalist Church of Bloomington-Normal, or a charity of the donor's choice.