James Edward “Jim” King, Jr., 79, of Decatur passed away Wednesday, March 27, 2019 at his residence. Mr. King was born on September 2, 1939, in Decatur, Alabama to James Edward King and Mary Battle Hendrix King. He is preceded in death by his parents and his wife Kathryn Wood King. He was a 1957 graduate of Decatur High School and graduated from Auburn University in 1961 with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. He was employed by 3M Company for almost 40 years in various positions, the last two being Site Manager in Greenville, South Carolina, and Site Manager in Decatur, Alabama, retiring in 2001. Jim was a longtime member of Decatur First United Methodist Church where he served in various leadership positions such as Chairman of The Board of Stewards, and taught Sunday School. He loved his community and served it well. He served on various boards including Decatur Chamber of Commerce, Morgan County Healthcare Authority, United Way, and Volunteer Center of Morgan County. He was also a longtime member of the Decatur Rotary Club and was a Paul Harris Fellow. Jim is remembered fondly by his family as a kind, generous, Christian man who loved all of us unconditionally and was always there for us when we needed him. He is survived by two sisters, Carolyn Ritter (Dr. Clay) of Atlanta, Georgia and Mary Battle Hamilton (Allen, deceased) of Decatur, Alabama; his children, James Edward King III (Abby), of Spring Hill, Tennessee, Robert Edward Pierce, Jr. (Megan), of Camden, Alabama, Matthew Blake Pierce (Kaitlin), of Birmingham, Alabama, and John Taylor Pierce of Auburn, Alabama; his grandchildren Brady James King, Kyle Edward King, Madison Kathryn Pierce, Olivia Grace Pierce, McKenzie Nicole Pierce, Emma Kathryn Pierce, Kathryn Allison Pierce, and Whitley Grace Samples; and his beloved dog, Macie. Visitation will be Saturday March 30, 2019 at Decatur First United Methodist Church from 12pm to 2pm followed by a service at 2pm with Dr. Huey Reynolds officiating. A private family burial will follow at Decatur City Cemetery. Hartselle Heritage Funeral Home is assisting the family. Memorials may be made to Decatur First United Methodist Church or your favorite local charity.
