Thomasville community members reflect on legacy left by Warren King
THOMASVILLE, N.C. (WGHP) — Many people are mourning the loss of Warren King. He was known as “Mr. Thomasville.”
You might have seen him at Thomasville High School football games and Thomasville HiToms baseball games. He passed away yesterday evening at High Point Hospice Home.
“Warren’s been an integral part of this community for a very long time,” Tom A. Finch Community YMCA CEO Laura Sweitzer said.
“If there’s anybody in the last probably four plus decades that was an icon or legend in Thomasville, it’s Warren King,” said Jarrod Dunbar, King’s friend.
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King , 82, was known for his spirited love for Thomasville. Those who knew him said you could find him greeting people with a smile at the YMCA, Thomasville High School football games and Thomasville HiToms baseball games.
“Warren was probably the most kind person I’ve ever met in my life. He certainly never met a stranger. He was probably the most popular person in town … At one time, he had one city council person taking him to football games, another city council person taking him to HiToms’ baseball games and the former mayor taking him every Tuesday to get his haircut,” said Scott Styers, King’s friend.
He’s remembered for his kind heart, jokes and loud cheers.
“There’s so many things in life that we that we can get concerned about and burdened by and worried about … with Warren, it was happy go-lucky, and it was refreshing to have that person in your life,” Dunbar said.
He was a long-time ambassador with the Tom A. Finch YMCA in Thomasville. There, they have an award named after him: the Warren King Spirit of The Y Award.
It’s given to those who touch the lives of others just like he did.
“When folks would come into the Y, most of the time Warren’s going to know your name. He’s going to know if you’re a new person to the Y,” Sweitzer said.
Those who knew him say his joyful spirit left a warm impact on the lives of hundreds in Thomasville.
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“I think everybody should aspire to be the kind of person that Warren King was. He was kind to everybody. He didn’t have a mean bone in his body. And if we could all learn to be a little bit more like that, we certainly would be a better society for sure,” Styers said.
Warren King’s 83rd birthday would have been Monday.
Visitation will be held that day from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. at the Christian Enrichment Center at Memorial United Methodist Church in Thomasville. The celebration of life will be in the church sanctuary at 2 p.m.
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