Mary Elizabeth "Beth" (King) Christoffersen

Beth was born on October 26, 1941, in Columbus, Mississippi to Thomas Jasper King and Annie Louis (Lang) King. Beth graduated from McAllen High School (McAllen, Texas) in 1959, where her beautiful singing voice earned her the honor of being a soloist in the Texas All-State Choir. She continued her education at Mississippi University for Women (The W) and Pan American University, where she was crowned Miss Pan Am.

In 1960, Beth met her husband Wayne (Chris) at Moore Air Force Base where he was in pilot training. They were married later that year…and remained married for almost 65 years…59 of those in Overland Park, Kansas.

As a pilot’s wife with an ever-growing family, Beth often had to carry the load while Chris was away, either on Air Force duty or while he was flying for TWA. She bore this responsibility fearlessly and gracefully.

Even with five kids and a veritable menagerie of pets to care for, she was quick to volunteer and take the lead when help was needed. Whether it was Cub Scouts, Girl Scouts, cheerleading, or swim team, Beth dove in head first, worked hard, and always left whatever she touched better than she found it.

Beth’s biggest impact was on the soccer community. She first got involved coaching her daughter’s team, where she was integral in forming The Kansas Premier Soccer League. After coaching, she stayed involved and held many positions at every level—Beth was a co-founder of the Kansas State Youth Soccer Association; she was the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA) Region II Office Manager, and she chaired the USYSA Girls’ National Olympic Development Program. In her time in that role, she took teams to Europe to compete—it was one of her favorite experiences.

It’s no surprise that Beth was a member of the first class of inductees into the Kansas State Youth Soccer Hall of Fame. And in 2013, she was honored with the Kevin Gray Soccer Ambassador of the Year Award at Sporting Park.

After her soccer career, Beth was an avid and determined genealogist, as well as a proud member of The Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Sagamore Chapter in Leawood. When she wasn’t discovering ancestors or donating her time to various DAR causes, she found joy working in her garden, spending time at the family farm, or relaxing in the backyard with a cup of coffee and a good book.

She was a kind, caring, selfless, and beautiful woman—she will be sadly missed.

Beth was preceded in death by her parents, T.J. and Annie King; her brother, Lester (Pinky) King; and her grandson, Sawyer King Christoffersen. Beth is survived by her husband, Wayne (Chris); her five children: Valori Maresco (her husband Kenneth), Kevin Christoffersen (his wife Christy), Liz Still (her husband Barry), Jennifer Still (her husband Dennis), and Duke; her 22 grandchildren; her 34 great-grandchildren; her sister, Jeanne Oliver (her husband Owen); and her two maltipoos, Waylon and Willie.

A celebration of Beth’s life will be held on Sunday, August 17th from 3-5 p.m. at La Villa (4120 Baltimore Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64111). In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Kansas City Public Broadcasting Service or Kansas City Hospice and Palliative Care in Beth’s memory.