E. Lewis King

Edward Lewis King Jr., husband, father and Renaissance man, died on Thursday, September 12, 2013. His wife, Joan Olcott King and daughters Susan and Virginia ( Virginia's husband Jon Schwartz), son Clayton, and granddaughter Anna Scott King survive him.

There will be a memorial service at the Nacoochee Presbyterian Church in Sautee Nacoochee on Thursday, September 19 at 11:00 am with a pot-luck lunch to follow.

Born in Atlanta on April 15, 1928 to Edward Lewis King and Susan Adger Williams King, Lewis attended North Druid Hills High School and was a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology.

The world is a heavier place now that Lewis King's levity has departed. He shied away from crowds, but when among friends, he was the brilliance of the party. He entertained friends and family with his stories, verse and philosophical views. People gathered around him and hung on his every word, which flowed effortlessly from him like the rivers he loved. Lisa Q. Mount wrote, "Lewis King was a raconteur, master of irony, keen observer of humanity's foibles, and a fine ping-pong player. He will be missed beyond measure."

His dear friend Claude Terry wrote, "Some of us have those associates who challenge us intellectually, who hold no academic position, who desire no awards or fame, yet read omnivorously, remember totally, and quote verbatim. I have never seen a professor of literature who was as widely knowledgeable, as gifted at comprehending, and as hesitant to display the depth of his knowledge. Meeting Lewis was a most fortunate moment in my life."

And his cousin Adger Williams posted, "Lewis knew the names of the emperors of Rome in order. He was working on the Byzantines." Alan Hall has heard him recount the Kings of France in order, all of them. And with little prodding he would recite "Casey At The Bat," flawlessly.

Last year on the occasion of Joan's 80th birthday celebration Lewis said, "