Don King Sr. Passes at 69

Don King, Sr., 69, of Cape Coral, FL (formerly of Middletown, CT) passed away on June 4, 2021 after a courageous battle with bone cancer. His loving family was continuously by his side including his wife of 46 years, Shelly King and their children: Christie King and her fiancé, Ron Silk of Norwalk, CT; Lynn Mills and husband Tom of Sturbridge, MA; Don King, Jr. and his wife, Dori of Rocky Hill, CT; and his grandchildren: J.T., Tyler and Katelyn Mills.

Don was born and raised in Middletown and lived there his entire life before retiring to Florida. He was a ’69 graduate of Xavier High School. From 20 years old, Don worked as a mechanical engineer at Ramar-Hall. Without higher education, Don worked hard to learn all aspects of the business, eventually earning the title of President and Owner.

The Kings are the true definition of family. Don always looked forward to his favorite holiday, Christmas Eve. Together, with his siblings, Chris, Bob and Donna and their families, memories were made to last a lifetime.

Some may say Don never grew up, especially his Mom. He was a kid at heart. Always surrounding himself with toys, some of his favorites include race cars, snowmobiles, corvettes, his boat “Hers Too”, jet skis, model airplanes, the list goes on. Don lived life to the fullest. He began racing cars at a young age at Connecticut Dragway and continued to be the proud owner of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour car #28. Between races, Don would enjoy his time at his beach house on Cedar Island in Clinton, CT. He also enjoyed traveling with his wife and dear friends, Bob and Dee Kalter to 47 states across the US and Mexico and Bahamas.

“Grumpy” as he was lovingly referred to by his grandchildren was not a grumpy man. He may have had a tough-guy exterior, but deep down he was a family man and provider. From work friends, race teammates to acquaintances, he was always willing to lend a helping hand. He believed in their potential and wanted to contribute to giving them an opportunity to advance their future.

Don will be missed by all that knew him, who helped him and who he helped along the way. There are too many people to mention. They know who they are.

Calling hours are Monday, June 14th, 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm at Cromwell Funeral Home, 506 Main St., Cromwell, CT. Funeral Mass will be at 10:00 am on Tuesday, June 15th at St. John Church, 5 St. John Court, Cromwell, CT. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery in Middletown.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Don’s name to Joey Logano Foundation, JL Kids Crew, 9911 Rose Commons Dr. Suite E-15, Huntersville, NC 28078, joeyloganofoundation.com or Cape Coral Animal Shelter, 325 SW 2nd Avenue, Cape Coral, FL 33991, Capecoralanimalshelter.com. To share memories or send condolences to the family, please visit www.doolittlefuneralservice.com.