Elizabeth Fenzel King

Elizabeth Fenzel King, 45, was a wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, teacher, writer, and dear friend whose life of adventure, inquiry, and love ended too soon. Known affectionately to family and childhood friends as Bits, Elizabeth was always eager to read a new book, see another play, and discuss her thoughts while walking down a lonesome path or a bustling city street here or across the world.

The lights of Elizabeth’s life were her husband Chris and their two beautiful children, Nicholas (6) and Sophie (4). She is also survived by her mother Karen (Jim Dennis), father Mickey (Janet Preis), siblings Jim (Amy), Mike (Zoe), and Kath, as well as aunts, uncles, cousins, and young nieces and nephews who jumped aboard “Aunt Bits outings” with glee.

She was born Elizabeth Ane Fenzel in December 1977, in Ithaca, NY, the third of four children born to Karen Powers and Mickey Fenzel. She was brought home in a snowstorm and was an immediate source of joy to her older brothers, mom, and dad. She became a big sister three years later.

During her four years at Dartmouth College, she did not confine herself to Hanover, NH but studied abroad in Trinidad and Barcelona. She would later receive two Master's degrees in education at Fordham University and complete a teaching stint in Istanbul, Turkey.

Cross country was her preferred high school sport. She would continue running into adulthood, completing marathons and other races worldwide, including New York, Boston, Hamburg, Charleston, Vermont, and Cambodia.

Elizabeth moved to New York City at age 24 and truly loved the city. She had brief stints in Tampa and Istanbul, but the city always pulled her back. Elizabeth and Chris made a home in Brooklyn and completed their family. The pandemic urged them out, and they found a community and home in Raleigh.

Living in Raleigh would also mean access to wonderful medical care at Duke. We are so appreciative of not only the expertise but also the humanity and kindness of all who treated Elizabeth. When her oncologist Dr. Low asked Elizabeth to tell him about her hopes, goals, or dreams outside of cancer treatment, she replied, “I wanted my life to fill in the missing pieces in the world.”

At the wedding of Chris and Elizabeth, C.P. Cavafy’s poem “Ithaka” was read. It begins:

As you set out for Ithaka

hope your road is a long one,

full of adventure, full of discovery.

The poem captured the spirit of that day as Elizabeth and Chris embarked upon a marvelous journey to build a family and travel the long road together. In the coming years, they would guide their children to learn new things, try new activities, speak new languages, and travel to new places. Elizabeth’s long road was cut short, but she relished each step.

In the final piece she published, Elizabeth asked us to be honest in words and life. “[C]ultivate the courage and ability to be fully present in your life, the joy and the pain,” she wrote. As glioblastoma ravaged her mind and body, as savage pain hit suddenly and lingered, she fought it off to do what was most important to her, love her family.

Whatever we write here, she could have improved upon, striking out passive voice or redundancy and adding a missed Oxford comma. Yet beyond editing our grammar and usage, she’d ask: “Is that what you mean to say?”

And echoing one of her favorite poets, T.S. Eliot, we’d mutter,

“That is not what I meant at all; that is not it, at all.”

We don’t possess the adequate words to describe all she meant and how deeply she’ll be missed.

In lieu of flowers we ask that you consider a donation to the L'école French School of Raleigh, where Elizabeth taught, and both of her children attend. Elizabeth shared her passion for the adventure of international travel with her children through the study of French and the dream they become fluent speakers.

Donations can be made to L'école French School of Raleigh, by using the link below, under 'donations'.

A funeral service was held on Saturday, February 4, at Christ Covenant Church.

If you would like to leave a favorite memory / story of Elizabeth, or a message of condolence for her family, you may do so below, within 'add a memory'.