Howard G. King's Obituary
Howard G. King, 95, of Tucson, AZ, died on June 17, 2018. He was born to Eli W. and Violet George King on Sept. 8, 1922, in Monongahela, PA, the oldest of five children. After graduating from Monongahela High School in 1941, he enlisted in the Army and served as a staff sergeant with the 1st U.S. Infantry Division, 18th Regiment. He took part in the North African and Sicilian campaigns before landing on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, and fighting through France, Belgium and Germany. For his service he was awarded the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, and the French Legion of Honor Medal. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 1950 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering, but his career was primarily in mining engineering. In 1961 he left his work with coal mines in Pennsylvania and West Virginia to move his family to Tucson. From 1965 to 1978 he worked for the Anaconda Company, starting with design and construction of the Twin Buttes Copper Mine south of Tucson. His work then took him to remote but interesting parts of the world. For Anaconda he worked on copper mining projects in New Brunswick, Canada; Sonora, Mexico; and southern Iran. In 1978 he was employed by Atlantic Richfield Company to design and construct coal mines across the country. In 1979 he was hired by Daniel K. Ludwig, Universal Tankships Inc., to serve as CEO of the Jari forestry and pulp production project on a tributary of the Amazon in Brazil. Then, as a Senior VP for Universal Tankships, he explored the feasibility of a farming project in Paraguay and a joint venture with China to develop coal mines there. Although he and his wife, Verneda, traveled extensively and lived in other cities and countries temporarily, they always returned to their home in Tucson. In 1986 he retired from Universal Tankships and Atlantic Richfield, but he continued providing consulting services in the field of mining, Besides his work, he enjoyed the outdoors, flying planes, and studying history. His family and his many friends loved him for his generosity, sense of humor, and ability to tell great stories. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his loving wife of 73 years, Verneda Toothman King; his daughter, Sandra King (Butch) Ruhl; his granddaughter, Christine King (David) Stierna; step-grandchildren Amy Ruhl and Andy (Kelly) Ruhl; great-grandchildren, Rayne and Alaric Stierna; and step-great grandchildren Bailey and Christopher Weitekamp and Lucy and Amelia Ruhl. He is predeceased by his son, Lloyd Howard (Suzanne) King. A private memorial service is planned for a later date.
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