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Death in our diocesan family: The Rev. Canon Jonathan LeRoy King

Votive candles

The Rev. Canon Jonathan LeRoy KingWith sadness we share the news of the death of the Rev. Canon Jonathan LeRoy King, 89, peacefully at his home in Wyckoff on January 16, 2019.

The family will receive friends on Wednesday, January 23, 2019, 5-7 PM at the Vander Plaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ. A funeral service will be held on Thursday, January 24, 2019, 11 AM at St. Elizabeth's Church, 169 Fairmount Road, Ridgewood NJ with a reception to follow at the Church. A private interment will be held at a later date in Newport, RI.

Jonathan graduated from St. Bernard's School in New York, NY, St. George's School in Newport, RI, Harvard College in Cambridge, MA, and The General Theological Seminary in New York, NY. He was ordained a priest in May 1957 and served many churches in the Episcopal dioceses of Newark and New York. Most notably, he spent twelve years at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine in New York City. After his retirement he and his wife were members of St. Elizabeth's, Ridgewood, where he served as priest associate. As a clergy friend of his once wrote, "He was able to combine his commitment to his profession with the way he lived his life."

Having volunteered for the draft, he served in the United States Army from September 1953 to August 1955.

He is survived by Jacqueline, his wife of 60 years; their four children, Cynthia King Vance, Philip King, Edward King and Frederic King; and 13 grandchildren. He was predeceased by his twin brother David in 1987.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to St. Elizabeth's Outreach Fund.

Good and gracious God, the light of the faithful and shepherd of souls, you sent your servant Jonathan to be a priest in your Church to feed your sheep with your word and to guide them by his example; give us the grace to keep the faith he taught and to follow in his footsteps. We entrust him into your unfailing mystery of Love and Hope through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.