Erwin Thomas King, born March 28, 1933, died on October 26, 2022, in Winter Springs, FL. His parents were Erwin King of Raleigh, North Carolina (deceased) and Vera W King of Raleigh, NC (deceased) and sister Elizabeth Mozingo (deceased).
Tom is survived by his wife Esther B. King, their two sons and their families: Erwin T. King Jr., his wife Katie Maxwell, and their two daughters, Hope and Laura; and their younger son Robert J. King, his wife Jana King and his granddaughters, Lacy and Melissa, and two nieces, Gerry Wakeland of Longview, TX and Barbara Mozingo of Louisville, KY.
Tom attended North Carolina State University and received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. He is a veteran of the US army, serving in Vietnam as a Senior Army Aviator and received the Bronze Star Medal and several additional air medals. Tom was promoted to the rank of Major prior to retiring after six years of active military service. He then joined the Federal Aviation Administration where he held numerous positions as a controller, supervisor, evaluator, and Air Traffic Tower Manager at Greensboro NC, retiring in January 2000. In his civilian life, Tom held several pilot ratings in fixed wing, rotary wing, glider, instrument, multi-engine aircraft, and certified flight instructor.
Tom was interested in all forms of aviation from early childhood, starting with models. He obtained his Private Pilot license at the age of seventeen. Soon after, he became a U.S. Army Aviator at 22 and obtained his rotary wing rating at the age of 23. Tom received the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award in recognition of more than 50 years of accident-free pilotage. He was also a member of the Quiet Birdmen organization.
Tom and his wife Esther retired to Leeward Air Ranch in Ocala, FL with their two special Miniature Poodles. Here they had their Mooney airplane and his home-built RV-6 airplane hangered in their backyard. Tom was a devout animal lover, especially dogs. The last two little Miniature Poodles were brothers and the most special dogs in his life. It was an extremely difficult time when they died only a year apart.
One of the highlights of Tom’s retirement years was his and Esther’s weekly attendance at Bible study at the Holy Land in Orlando every week for many years and attending weekly worship service at Faith Presbyterian Church. The Bible literally came to life on their trips to Israel, truly one of the high points in both of their lives.
Interment will take place at the Bushnell National Cemetery at a later date.