Carter B. King, Jr.

Carter B. King, Jr., was born in Okemah, Oklahoma on April 8, 1923, and died after a prolonged illness in Ozark, Arkansas, on August 11, 2014. He was preceded in death by his parents Carter B. King and Ruth Adams King and by his sister Corinne King Laughlin. He is survived by six nieces and nephews: Carter King Laughlin (Linda), Suzanne Laughlin Hawkins (William, Cecil Laughlin III (Missy), Kendall Adams Laughlin Sr. (Lisa), Brent Walker Laughlin (Lucia), and Lisa Ruth Laughlin Pullen (Robert). Carter graduated from Ozark High School, where he played basketball and football. He attended Arkansas Tech, Fort Smith Junior College, the University of Arkansas and the University of Tulsa. While living in Tulsa he also worked at the Douglas Aircraft Bomber Plant, and for extra money he gave accordion lessons. He next enrolled in the Navy SeaBees program at the University of Oklahoma and graduated with a Civil Engineering degree in 1945. While at OU he served as a varsity cheerleader and he remained a lifelong Sooner Fan. Following graduation, Carter was employed by the International Engineering Corporation (later acquired by Morrison-Knudsen) as a supervisor of hydroelectric installations. He briefly lived in Denver and soon thereafter moved to San Francisco where he made his home for 35 years. As a young civil engineer, he spent 1951 through 1954 in the Helmand Province of Afghanistan, where he lived in the king's summer palace while designing and building the largest dam and irrigation project in Afghanistan. He had subsequent assignments in Peru and Tunisia. His final job was project manager of the Pine Flat Power Plant in the King's River Conservation District in California. In 1984, Carter retired to the family home on Adams Mountain in Ozark, where he spent thirty years improving the farm to create an inviting retreat for his sister Corinne and himself, as well as for many family and friends. He is remembered for his dry wit, his many strong opinions, his stories of international travel, and his love of Labrador Retrievers. The family wishes to express heartfelt thanks to Karen Miranda, Sue Robinson, and Don Carlson, who provided friendship and ongoing care in the home, and also to Mercy Hospice, especially Nurse Shari Kincade. A private family memorial service will be held in Ozark at a later date. Donations may be made to Mercy Hospice Foundation, 5401 Ellsworth Road, Fort Smith, Arkansas 72903, or by calling 314-364-2901.