Jean Eleanor Herran King

Mrs. King died September 17, 2012 at Plantation Estates at the age of 87. She was born in Oneonta, New York on July 25, 1925, the daughter of the late William McKinley Houghton and Alice Roosevelt Webster Houghton.

Jean was the oldest of seven children. Her family moved sixteen times in upstate NY, ending up in Morrisville, where her father was a professor at the Morrisville Agricultural College. There, she and the family developed a love for camping, boating, and the lake at Eaton Brook Camp. After graduating from Morrisville High School at age 16, Jean spent three years studying at Syracuse School of Nursing, becoming a nurse at age 20. While nursing, she met serviceman Rafael Herran in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and they later married in Manhattan, New York, while he attended Fairleigh Dickinson University. They moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 1950 with first son, Peter. The family grew to four children in Charlotte, living on Vail Avenue near Presbyterian Hospital for 36 years. Part of growing up in Charlotte included the Soap Box Derby, where the family enjoyed years of racing and making friends. Jean continued her nursing career in Charlotte until 1960 and then began working in early-childhood education. She spent 20 years teaching children at Myers Park Baptist Church, which included a preschool program. In Charlotte, Jean initially was a member of First Baptist Church, and later moved her membership to Myers Park Baptist Church, where she was a member of the Fifth Dimension Sunday School Class. She recently joined Providence United Methodist Church, Chipley Bible Class. During the last few years of her life, she lived at Plantation Estates. There, she encountered many old friends, made several new ones, and enjoyed daily community activities.

Jean enjoyed community service, including helping at the Mooresville Soup Kitchen. Her hobbies were quilt making, nutrition, physical fitness, arts, crafts, camping, boating, and water skiing. She also enjoyed family and friends, and spending time at her home on Lake Norman. In addition, travel was always a pleasure for her. Some of her most memorable trips were back to Morrisville, to Rafael’s hometown, Bogotá, Colombia, and to California for a month-long family camping trip in 1967. She also went to Europe several times, including a trip to the United Kingdom with son Peter and family, another to Italy with son Vincent and family, and a third to Spain with niece Consuelo and family.

Jean was preceded in death by husbands, Rafael Castellanos Herran and Harley Lynn King; her brother, Bob Houghton; her daughter, Rose Eleanor Herran; and daughter-in-law, Katherine Neill Herran. She is survived by her children, Peter Rafael Herran (widower), Vincent Wayne Herran and wife Michelle Weatherly Herran, and Ralph Michael Herran and wife Diane Rhodes Herran. Jean is also survived by her sisters, Mary Mauck (widow) and Shirley Harp and husband Jim, and her brothers, Bruce Houghton and wife Janice, Jack Houghton and wife Dirinda, and Carl Houghton and wife Pat. Moreover, she is survived by nephews and nieces Consuelo Correa, Karen Mauck Conger, Debbie Coleman, and others. Other dear surviving descendants are her grandchildren, Peter David Herran and wife Lisa, Jean Cannon Herran Hunt and husband Charles, Christy Leigh Herran, Gregory Vincent Herran, Jonathan Michael Herran, and Jenna Lauren Herran. Finally, she is survived by great-grandchildren, Angelina Katherine Herran, Kaelyn Anne Herran, Charles Deane Hunt Jr., Dylan Peter Hunt, and Daniel Craig Herran.

A service for her friends at Plantation Estates will be held Wednesday, September, 19, 2012 at 2:30 p.m.

Visitation will be Wednesday, September, 19, 2012 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Harry & Bryant Funeral Home, 500 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC.

A Memorial Service will be held Thursday, September 20, 2012 at 2 p.m. at Providence United Methodist Church, 2810 Providence Road, Charlotte with a reception following.

Memorials may be sent to Myers Park Baptist Church Pre-School, 1900 Queens Road, Charlotte, NC 28207.