Erwin E. King

Erwin E. King, born in El Paso, Texas on November 2, 1923 - husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, friend, neighbor, rockhound, woodcarver, sculptor, all-around artist, proud do-it-yourselfer, prolific memoirist, neighborhood speed-walker, Kirk-of-the-Hills pioneer, and real deal WWII war hero - passed away peacefully in Tulsa on August 7. Erwin's memory will be cherished by Mary Alice - his lovely wife of 72 years - along with his five children, thirteen grandchildren, and fourteen great-grandchildren, and their families - together too numerous to name individually here, but each of whom will miss him dearly and will carry his legacy throughout their own lives and the lives of their families. A member of the United States Army 103rd Infantry Division as a young soldier during WWII, Erwin landed in Marseilles, France in October 1944, and encountered heavy fighting in the Alsace region as his regiment made its way into enemy territory. On a cold night in December 1944, shortly after his 21st birthday, Erwin and his squad successfully completed a dangerous mission to rescue a wounded comrade in Mertzwiller, resulting in Erwin being awarded the U.S. Army's Silver Star medal for valor in combat. After Erwin earned his B.S. in Geology from University of Texas at El Paso in 1947, he and Mary Alice eventually settled in Tulsa in 1951 to raise their young and growing family. Erwin had an accomplished and colorful career at Sinclair Oil and Atlantic Richfield, including a term as president of the national Society of Professional Well Log Analysts. At some point in the early days of his career, his Sinclair coworkers gave Erwin the longstanding nickname of "Moose" King after a dust-up with local roughnecks in Calgary, Alberta - though to this day the precise details of the surrounding events leading to that choice of nickname remain a mystery to his family. Erwin and Mary Alice were charter members of the Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church, starting in 1961. Especially active at the Kirk after his retirement in 1984, Erwin was a member of the Kirk Carpenters construction team, participating in many church-sponsored trips throughout the United States and internationally, including Brazil, Costa Rica, and Russia. As his life came to an end, Erwin, along with his family, took great comfort in his steadfast faith in Christ and the certainty of an eternal life and reunion with his beloved grandson, Andrew. In lieu of flowers, his family requests that donations be made to Kirk Missions, or to Clare House Hospice, where Erwin spent his final days in comfort with his family. A memorial service will be held to celebrate his life at 11:00 AM, on Saturday, August 11, 2018 at Kirk of the Hills Presbyterian Church.

Erwin E. King

November 2, 1923 - August 7, 2018