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John Creylon King. Jr. 83, a 51 year resident of Camarillo California and loving husband of Dorothy King peacefully passed away after a courageous 7 year struggle with a rare and untreatable brain disorder, Cortico Basal Ganglionic Degeneration, (CBGD). John was the proud son of Mary Coleman King and John Creylon King born in Columbia hospital, Columbia, South Carolina. A graduate of McBee High School, SC in 1946 and Clemson University in 1951, John received his Bachelor Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering and joined the Air Force, serving as a lieutenant. After leaving the Air Force, John moved to Long Beach, CA in 1955 to work for North American Aviation as an airframe designer. On Christmas Eve 1955 in the Las Vegas Methodist Church John married Dorothy Layton, a teacher at McBee High School. In 1956, he was hired by the Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory (NCEL) team in Port Hueneme and John and Dorothy moved to Oxnard. In 1961 they moved to Camarillo. John’s career took him to many states and around the world including: Japan, Turkey, and Antarctica. John holds several patents and is a published author. He retired in 1988 with 32 years of service with NCEL where he made many life long friends. John was completely devoted to his family and friends. Growing up in McBee, John built model airplanes. He rode scooters around the country with friends. As a young adult he drove his Dodge across country to California. Throughout his life, John routinely flew and drove to visit his mother Mary in McBee South Carolina and other relatives and friends in South Carolina and Florida. He loved motorcycles, cars, and airplanes. He enjoyed country music, swimming, watching the Lakers, and Clemson football. Some of our best early family memories were camping trips to the desert and riding motorcycles with friends and neighbors. After his retirement in 1988, John and Dorothy traveled extensively on cruises, taking trips to Europe, Asia, Russia, Central and South America, Hawaii, Alaska, and Caribbean Islands. Later in life, through all of the challenges with CBGD, John remained positive and energetic. He took each day and setbacks as a challenge to live his life on his terms. John never had a harsh word for anyone; he was friendly and kind to everyone around him. He was in all ways a true southern gentleman. John is survived by his wife Dorothy of 56 years, three sons Jack, David, and Mark, two daughter-in-laws Karen and Julie and 8 grandchildren Ryan, Haley, Jack, Holly, Camille, Sarah, Melissa, Tommy and Carolina cousins Saranne Davis, Gloria Calder, Joanne King Corbett and Rebecca Ivey of Winter Park, Florida and many relatives and friends from California to South Carolina. The memorial service of John’s life will be at 10:00 on July 27, 2012 at the McBee Cemetery, South Carolina where he will be reunited with his mother and father. Brown-Pennington-Atkins Funeral Home is serving the King family. In lieu of flowers please send a donation to the Cortico Basal Ganglionic Degeneration Research Foundation at www.psp.org

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Mr. John Creylon King Jr.

June 4, 1929 - June 29, 2012