Dale Barton King, age 84, made the final steps of his earthly pilgrimage on Sunday, June 22, 2014. Born to Frank and Mary King in Flint, Mich., he is survived by his brother, Frank King; his sister, Mary King; his wife, Carlene Wooster King, and their daughter, Meredith King Riordan and her husband, Matt.

Though he had not originally intended to become an English professor, those who knew him would have been hard pressed to imagine his having become anything else. Upon realizing his desire for a liberal arts education, Dale transferred from Kansas City Bible College to Bob Jones University. After earning his undergraduate degree from Bob Jones, he did graduate work at both the University of Michigan and the University of Virginia, where he was a DuPont Fellow. He began his professorial career at Bob Jones, but spent the majority of it at Malone College (now University), including a year as an exchange professor at Hong Kong Baptist College, which prompted a Malone student to complain, “Why are they sending one of the best teachers away?” Following his retirement from Malone in 1995, he and Carlene moved to Casselberry, Fla.; however, rather than taking up fishing or golfing, he found himself returning to the classroom, this time at The Geneva School. Initially filling a mid-year need for a junior high history teacher, he ended up teaching high school English at Geneva for over a decade, not truly retiring until the age of 80, and considering his time at Geneva to have been a delightful and rewarding postscript to his teaching career. His love of literature was superseded only by his love for his family and his Lord. He cherished his wife throughout their 45 years of marriage and raised a daughter who has been greatly blessed by his wisdom, encouragement, and example. Throughout his life, he sought to know God better and to communicate this knowledge to those around him. During the 70s and 80s, he served as a part-time pastor at New Baltimore Community Church in New Baltimore, Ohio, and was most recently a grateful and enthusiastic member of St. Paul’s Presbyterian Church in Orlando, Fla.. Those who had the privilege of knowing Dale will miss his spiritual insights, his sense of humor, and his annual Christmas letters that sent most readers running to the dictionary multiple times.

Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 1, at Mt. Pleasant Church of the Brethren, 4152 Mt. Pleasant Rd., North Canton, with the Rev. J. Ken Baker officiating. Calling hours will be held on Monday, June 30, from 5-7 p.m. at the Schneeberger Funeral Home, 2222 Fulton Rd. NW, Canton. Burial will take place in Rockland, ME. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to The Geneva School, 2025 Florida 436, Winter Park, FL 32792 (or online at www.genevaschool.org), or to