Rebecca "Becky" Brown King

Becky was born on October 3, 1942, at Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta while her father, James, was stationed in the Pacific during World War II. The eldest of five children, she helped her mother, Dorothy (Brock) Brown, raise her four younger siblings while both parents worked, a responsibility beyond her years foreshadowing the mother she would become to her children and others.

At Southwest High School, she met the love of her life, Fred L. King Jr. They were married in 1962 and shared 64 years together. As newlyweds, Fred joined the Army as a second lieutenant and was stationed at Fort Benning, where he and Becky settled into their first home together and made lifelong friends.

The Army years solidified their partnership in life, with Becky later managing their home-building business. Fred and Becky knew each other inside out and could say everything without saying a word. Their marriage was the picture of what true love should look like.

Their son, Fred III (Freddy), was named for his father and grandfather, and inherited Becky's charm and ability to befriend anyone, anywhere. They shared a love of music, dancing, movies, and laughter.

Their daughter, Amy Wade, carries her mother's first name as her middle name, but they shared much more. Becky was Amy's forever best friend and confidante, and they could talk for hours about everything or nothing.

With her quick wit and infectious laugh, Becky made everyone feel at home. Warm and spirited, she was a second mother to her nieces, nephews, and the neighborhood kids. She welcomed all, taking them along on family vacations and feeding them something homemade.

Anyone planning to visit Becky knew to come hungry. Her Southern cooking, built on recipes learned from her mother and grandmother, nourished both body and soul, from squash casserole to mac and cheese to chicken pot pie.

Becky also made her grandson Gus's favorite chocolate chip pancakes. To him, she was Bebe (short for Becky Brown). To her, as her only grandchild, he was joy. And however hard Gus played, she kept up with him every step of the way.

It helped that she was born active. A softball player as a child, she could hit one farther than anyone in the family. She loved the outdoors, from rafting down the Nantahala to hiking trails from Appalachia to Wyoming. She was also drawn to water, from the beaches of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina to her home on Lake Rabun.

Her garden was her favorite place. She nurtured her Southeastern flowers, plants and shrubs, from Carolina jessamine to Piedmont azaleas to oakleaf hydrangeas. In the afternoons, she admired her handiwork from the shade of her screened porch, where she could keep one eye on a book and the other on the cardinals and bluebirds flitting between her half dozen feeders.

An avid reader, Becky belonged to several book clubs and read well over 1,000 books, but her favorite book was her Bible, its pages marked with passages she loved.

Becky's faith was central to her life. She and Fred were early members of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, where they professed their faith and were baptized in the late 1980s. She attended Bible studies for more than 30 years and was a member of Petal Pushers, a group that delivers flowers to elderly residents of nursing homes across Marietta.

Becky is survived by her husband, Fred L. King Jr.; her son, Fred L. King III (Freddy); her daughter, Amy Rebecca King Wade; her son-in-law, Robert H. Wade; her grandson, Augustus K. "Gus" Wade; her brother, James "Jimmy" Brown; her sister, Dorothy Diane "Dede" Brown Blackston; her sister-in-law, Cheryl King McCollum; nieces, nephews, and extended family members and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Dorothy; her sister, Margaret; and her brother, Joseph.

A service will be held at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Becky's memory to the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance.

A celebration of life will be held in the sanctuary of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church on November 4, 2026, at 1pm. The family will receive guests in the Sanctuary Lobby following the service.

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever." — Psalm 23:6

Arrangements are entrusted to H.M. Patterson & Son – Canton Hill Chapel.