William Jackson King III

William “Bill” Jackson King III was born on September 1, 1943, in Baltimore, Maryland and passed away on March 30, 2026, surrounded by loved ones. Bill was the loving son of the late William T.J. King and Elsie Mae Reed King and the steadfast partner of twenty years to Jeannette P. Colly. Together, they enjoyed traveling, trivia, burger nights, and spending time with their close community of friends.

Bill graduated from the University of Maryland in 1965 with a bachelor’s degree in engineering, followed by a master’s in engineering management from George Washington University. He then began a long, meaningful career with the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR), where he supported a wide range of research and development programs in advanced avionics. Bill was especially proud of his integral role in the development of helmet-mounted aviator display systems. His work with NAVAIR was a tremendous source of pride throughout his life, and aviation remained his passion until his final days. After retirement, Bill remained active as a long-time member of the Golden Racquets Tennis Club in Fairfax, Virginia and the Burke Centre Tennis and Racquet Club.

A kind, simple, organized man, Bill never needed much. He could often be found in his office reading a book or magazine, clipping newspaper articles to share with others, and listening to old-time radio. He loved tennis, sudoku, deviled eggs, and sitting down to one of Jeannette’s good meals, always prefaced with his signature “hot digs.”

He may be survived by his brother, Mark King, and is survived by his partner, Jeannette. He was also dearly loved by Jeannette’s family: Joseph Colly III, Jennifer Chronis, Brian Dickson, and Ann and Jeff Brodnax. Rest in peace, Bill. May God welcome you home and grant you eternal rest.

The graveside service will be held on Saturday, April 18 at 12:30 at Mountain View Cemetery, 2030 Mt. View Road, Marriottsville, MD 21104.

Memorial donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research in memory of Bill King.