John Lawrence King, 70, Springfield, passed away at 5:15 p.m., March 4, 2018, in  St. Louis, Missouri, after a brief illness.

John was born and raised in Springfield, Missouri.  After graduating from Drury College, he enlisted in the United States Marine Corps and served as a Marine Officer.  John was eventually stationed at Camp Pendleton in California.  After his time in the service, he stayed in California and entered the corporate world of retail management and started working for Kmart Corporation.  It was at this time that he met his future wife, Lisa.  After 17 years with Kmart, John left the company to run his own business, The Miniblind Network.  In 1994 John and Lisa moved to Missouri, and John continued to run his business until December 2005 when he retired.

Along the way, John became interested in the Fire Service.  He first joined the Ozark Rural Fire Protection District as a Firefighter, and eventually worked his way up to Captain.  Upon moving from the district, he took a short break, but then after moving to Saddlebrooke, Missouri, John joined the Highlandville Rural Fire Protection District and served many years, starting again as a Firefighter and eventually becoming Deputy Chief in charge of the Training Division.  His time spent instructing and the difference he made within the department was his proudest accomplishment as a Firefighter.

John was also an avid woodworker and pen turner.  At any given time, you could go out to his workshop, and you would see projects John had finished or was working on for friends and colleagues.

John is survived by his wife of 41 years, Lisa King, of Springfield, Missouri; his sister, Marilyn Ralph, of San Diego, California; and many cousins.  He was preceded in death by his father, Jean L. King, his mother, Rita Fern King, and his brother, David King.

Services will be Thursday, March 22, 2018, at 9:00 a.m. in Gorman-Scharpf Brentwood Chapel, with graveside services at 10:00 a.m. at Missouri Veterans Cemetery.  Visitation will be Wednesday, March 21, 2018, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to The American Cancer Society, the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, or the animal rescue group of your choice.

"Goodbyes are not forever.  Goodbyes are not the end.  They simply mean we'll miss them until we meet again."