Cover photo for J. Charles King's Obituary
J. Charles King Profile Photo
1940 J. 2019

J. Charles King

April 17, 1940 — March 31, 2019

Indianapolis, IN

Very Reverend Father J. Charles King, Ph.D. April 17, 1940 – March 31, 2019

Father King was born in Houston, Texas, on April 17, 1940, to J.C. and Wilma King, the oldest of three children. Though he lived in Boston, MA; Claremont, CA; and Indianapolis, he always considered himself a Texan. As a child in Houston, he enjoyed comic books and radio plays, camp outs with the Scouts, and riding his bike to the public library or to see twenty-five cent matinees. This began his life-long love of fantasy and science fiction; he stopped counting how many times he re-read Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy after he was in the double digits, and he loved cheesy B movies with improbable monsters. In high school, he was a member of the speech team, which is how he met his future wife, Harriet Rhymes. He attended Baylor University, majoring in philosophy.

At the urging of his high school sweetheart Harriet, he applied and was accepted to Harvard University for a doctorate in philosophy. They married August 17, 1963, after his first year in Boston. Upon completing his degree, he accepted a teaching position at the University of Houston which he held for two years. His next academic position, at Pomona College in Claremont, California, was for eleven years. While living in California, Charles and Harriet got their first two dogs: Minx, a basset, and Ursula, a Newfoundland. Against the warnings of their parents, they kept the dogs when they had their daughter Heather. That experiment was successful enough that four years later they had a son, Justin. At Pomona, Father King’s lectures on moral philosophy and political philosophy (for which he wrote a textbook) attracted students for their rigor and humor. He and Harriet entertained regularly, played golf together, and enjoyed the proximity of theatre and music performances in Los Angeles.

After a Mellon Grant took him and his family to Blacksburg, VA for a semester to study with future Nobel Laureate Jim Buchanan at Virginia Tech, Father King accepted a position as Director of Publishing with Liberty Fund, Inc., an educational foundation in Indianapolis. Over fifteen years with Liberty Fund, he rose to the role of President. During that time, he oversaw educational seminars on a variety of topics literally around the world, bringing countless participants together in probing discussions of texts ranging from classical drama to modern philosophy. Though he missed his family terribly, he relished the chance to travel widely, directing conferences in Australia, Japan, and several European countries. Reading ​The Four Quartets​ by T.S. Eliot for a conference led Father King to the Anglican church, and he and Harriet began attending St. Edward’s.

Since leaving Liberty Fund in 1995, he has served the parish of St. Edward the Confessor. Upon becoming a deacon, he took on the role of curate; after becoming a priest, he served as Rector and then Dean. In addition to preaching regularly, he has served as a mentor for younger clergy, led bible studies and book groups for his congregation, and helped build connections with a sister parish in Haiti.

Though many may have found him intimidating in academic settings, where he could be a formidable debate partner, Father King had a ready laugh and a finely-honed appreciation of the absurd. This was constantly in evidence at home, especially in his role as a father; his children have many cherished memories of his inexplicably eccentric nicknames and other running jokes. Their first dog in Indiana was dubbed a “Polish Worm Hound” for offenses now forgotten, he called Heather “Heaping Snake” for reasons no one understood, and he was able to turn even disagreements into sources of humor. He was also an extraordinarily devoted husband, bringing Harriet flowers not just on their wedding anniversary, but also on the anniversary of their first date. He provided a daily example of what it meant to love people deeply, and to appreciate them fully.

He is survived by his wife, Harriet and dog, Nelson (Indianapolis); daughter Heather, married to Eric Shamp (Redlands, CA) and son Justin, married to Diane Uhl (Houston, TX). He loved hearing stories about the exploits of his grandsons Alden and Mattox King, and Jackson and Austin Shamp. His sister Caren, married to Dale Hollis, and brother John, wife Mary Jones, still live in Texas.

The calling will be held on Thursday, April 4, 2019 from 4:00-7:00pm, and additionally on Friday, April 5 from 9:00-10:00am at St. Edward the Confessor, 6361 N. Keystone Ave, where his funeral services will begin at 10am on Friday, April 5. Graveside services are at Crown Hill Cemetery.

Donations may be made to a memorial fund in his name, care of St. Edward’s.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of J. Charles King, please visit our flower store.

Service Schedule

Past Services

Calling Hours

Thursday, April 4, 2019

4:00 - 7:00 pm (Eastern time)

St. Edward the Confessor Anglican Catholic Church

6361 North Keystone Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46220

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Funeral Mass

Friday, April 5, 2019

10:00am - 12:00 pm (Eastern time)

St. Edward the Confessor Anglican Catholic Church

6361 North Keystone Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46220

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Burial

Friday, April 5, 2019

11:30am - 12:00 pm (Eastern time)

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