King, John Burton "Burt"John Burton King was born on May 5th 1927. He died December 3, 2016. Burt was raised in Oshkosh and though he graduated from Oshkosh High School in 1945, he missed the ceremony as he was drafted into the
US Navy on his 18th birthday and left immediately to serve in
World War II. After his service, Burt attended and graduated from
Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois with a degree in Drama and Business. While at Northwestern, he met and fell in love with Mary Ann Hopkins. They were married on January 1, 1950. Mary Ann preceded him in death on September 30th of this year. Mary Ann and Burt made their home in Oshkosh after his graduation from Northwestern. Burt was a successful local business man and founded King Industries one of the largest independent garment manufactures in the Midwest. King Industries was a fixture on Main Street Oshkosh for many years. King's manufactured garments for many of the top names in the fashion industry and was a great source of pride for Burt and his family. The business eventually included several outlet stores in the Fox Valley. At it's peak, King Industries was one of Oshkosh's largest employers with over 300 employees. In mid life, Burt became an aviation enthusiast and proudly got his private pilot's license. He then purchased an aircraft where he spent many happy hours enjoying both the thrill and peace of flight.Burt was a world traveler, a voracious reader, and an avid Packer's fan. Burt had a great sense of humor that was appreciated by friends and family. Burt was proud of his five children and was always happy in their companyHe is survived by his children: Tina Haffeman (late Gary Haffeman), John H. King (Tami), Kathryn King, Kelly Bankole (Cullen), and Andrew B. King (Jesica). He is further survived by 11 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren: Hadley Burger (Paul), Katelund Jorgensen (Ryan), Kelsey King, Joseph Curcurio, Teresa Curcurio, Lindsay Bankole, Scott Bankole, Grace King, John R. King, MaryKate King, and Andrew H. King. Great grandchildren include Max and Ellie Burger and John, Liam and Theodore Jorgensen. He is also survived by his sister Beatrice Schrader. Burt was preceded in death by his parents Oscar and Grace King, his wife Mary Ann (Hopkins) King, and his son-in-law Gary Haffeman. A memorial service for John Burton King will be held Monday, December 19, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church. Visitation will be held at the church on Monday from 11:00 a.m. until the service. In lieu of flowers a memorial will be established. Communication may be sent to the King Family, 1307 Washington Ave. Oshkosh, WI 54901. His family would like to thank Dr. Daniel Kaiser, special caregiver Carrie Sullivan, all of his caregivers at Arborview Manor and finally the extraordinarily comforting staff from Heartland Hospice.
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