Rev. William Jeffrey King

Reverend William Jeffrey King, 78, of Tiffin passed away at Autumnwood Care Facility on January 21, 2025.

He was born May 18, 1946 at Fort Hayes Army Hospital in Columbus, Ohio to the late Clair Roller and Doris Marjorie (née Hum) King of Lakewood, Ohio. He was a graduate of Lakewood High School, and the College of Wooster, where he met and wed the love of his life, Susan Towles, of Baltimore, MD in 1969. After college, the newlyweds moved to Connecticut where Jeff received his professional degree of Divinity from The Hartford Seminary Foundation. He was ordained at the Lakewood Congregational Church in 1971 as minister of the United Church of Christ.

Jeff began his ministry at the Mohican Indian Church in Uncasville, Connecticut. He was particularly proud of this post with its unique history and congregation. He returned to Ohio to serve St. Paul’s United Church of Christ in Port Washington, Ohio. He often would talk and write about all of his experiences with the people of the congregations he served.

Throughout his career, Jeff served several other United Church of Christ congregations in eastern and northwest Ohio including First Congregational Church, Wellington, Ohio, Bloomville United Church of Christ, Bloomville, Ohio, and most recently Republic United Church of Christ, Republic, Ohio.

He retired from active ministry in 2011 and celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination with the United Church of Christ in 2021. Jeff served on various community boards including the Seneca County United Way and NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness). In the summers, he especially enjoyed the Seneca County Fair and providing his interfaith church services to fairgoers. He was a proud Eagle Scout and Freemason. He always had a passion for teaching and he enthusiastically accepted an offer to teach religion for a semester at Heidelberg University.

Jeff had a wonderful and quirky sense of humor, loved to draw sketches and cartoons and wrote many heartfelt commentaries on religion, philosophy, and current events. Jeff was a lifelong fan of the Cleveland “Indians” Guardians, Cleveland Browns and the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Jeff is survived by his wife of fifty-five years, Susan, and three children: Abigail King (Jason Louttit) of Dayton, Sarah King (Jered Johnston) of Republic and Adam King of Tiffin. He had five wonderful granddaughters: Gwendolyn Grace, Madelyn Rose, Roslyn Claire Johnston and Miriam Elise and Veronica Eloise Louttit. He is also survived by two sisters and five nephews, Beth Anne Darkow (Harold) of Green and her sons Benjamin(Amy) and Daniel(Erica) Darkow and Jennifer Sue Webb (late Gary) of Middletown and her sons Alex(Jenny), Jonathan(Sarah), and Zachary Webb.

Calling hours will be Tuesday, January 28, 2025 from 2pm to 6pm at the Lindsey-Shook Funeral Home in Bloomville. Jeff’s funeral service will be held on Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 11:00 a.m., at the Republic United Church of Christ. There will be a graveside committal for family at Firestone Cemetery in Columbiana, Ohio on Thursday, January 30, 2025.

Memorials may be made in Jeff’s name to Garlo Park in Bloomville, Ohio.

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