Obituary of Montez King, 81

Montez King, 81, of State College, died peacefully on Saturday morning, October 26, 2013 at the Fairways at Brookline. She was born April 5, 1932 in Cullman County, Alabama, to the late Harvey and Ruth Moses Hendrix. On June 15, 1952 she married Hagan Kingwho survives.

Also surviving are daughters, Karen and her husband Paul Freeman of Frederick, MD and Kimberly and her husband David MacPherson of Winston-Salem, NC. In addition she is survived by grandsons Adam and Keaton Freeman, granddaughters Nicole MacPherson and AlyshaBaier, sister Marie Hendrix Cole, cousin Lisa Huffman Lee and many loving nephews, nieces, cousins, extended family and dear friends.

Preceding her in death were cousin Harold Huffman and her loving aunt, Floris Huffman, who played a major role in her life as she helped to raise Montez and Marie after the early passing of their mother.

Montez graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree inHome Economicsand during the early part of her daughters’ lives she chose to stay home to nurture her children. She became active in her church and helped to champion the civil rights movement in Alabama during the 1960’s. Escaping from the Alabama heat each summer, the family would travel to the mountains of North Carolina where they worked in the outdoor drama Horn in the West. It was during that time when Montez and Hagan discovered their professional calling for the theatre and would make many life-long friends.

In 1967 they moved to State College where Montez became the costumer for the theatre department at Penn State. She remained in that position for twenty-eight years and during that time she influenced and touched the lives of countless students, colleagues and theatre lovers. Upon retirement she found the time to focus on other interests to include volunteer work with the Women’s Resource Center, supporting the Green Movement and, having always been a devoted and civil-minded resident, she encouraged neighborhood voting attendance. When not focused on service work, gardening or family, Montez and Hagan would often travel to Emerald Isle, NC where they shared a beach house with dear friends.

A memorial service will be held at the State College Presbyterian Church, 132 W. Beaver Ave., State College, on Saturday, November 9th at 12:30. All are invited to attend a celebration of Montez’s life immediately following the service at the Wind Song Dining Room at Brookline, 1930 Cliffside Dr., State College. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that memorial contributions in honor of Montez be made to The Centre County Women’s Resource Center, 140 W. Nittany Avenue SC, PA 16801 or, in her own words, “A Peaceable Cause” of your choice.