Richard Hartwell King

He was born on August 28, 1942, in Jacksonville, Florida to Sam H. and Florence T. King. He graduated from Andrew Jackson High School in 1960. He served in the U.S. Army from 1961 through 1967. He was a police officer with the Jacksonville Police Department, which later became the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, retiring in 1989 after 25 years of service. He later was employed at the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, retiring in 2005 as Chief of the jail. He was president of the Jacksonville Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 5-30 for several years. He was chairman of the first contract negotiations committee on behalf of the police officers employed by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. He was also a member of the first Honor Guard for the Jacksonville Police Department.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Carol, daughter Laurie King, son David (Christi) King, grandchildren Travis (Katrina) Foures, Ashley (Lance) Hetz, Kaylie (Samuel) Higginbotham, and Macayla King. Great grandchildren are Kyra, Tyson, and Trent Foures, Ethen, Camryn, Aubryn, and Haylen Hetz, and Chloe, Ava, and Luke Higginbotham.

Funeral service will be held Thursday, April 25, 2024, at 12:00 pm at River Road Baptist Church in Hilliard, Florida. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service. Officiating will be Pastor Benjie Loyd, with a special message from Pastor Stephen Peeples. Interment will be Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at 2:30 pm at Jacksonville National Cemetery 4083 Lannie Rd. Jacksonville, FL 32218.