Joe Franklin King

Joe King was friendly, gregarious and beloved by everyone who met him. He passed away at Frederick Health Hospital in Frederick, Maryland, on February 26, 2026.

Joseph Franklin King was born on May 11, 1936 in Manhattan, New York to Howard King and Blanche “Ruth” Egan. Joe grew up in the Bronx and graduated from Mount Saint Michael Academy in 1954 where he was on the track team. He enjoyed summers with his grandparents at Mountain Lodge Park in the Catskill Mountains of New York. He was a Boy Scout and a member of the Knights of Columbus. After high school, he attended classes at City College of New York and Iona College. Joe, a proud veteran, served in the U.S. Army in France from 1957 to 1959.

Joe met Margaret Ann Kathman, nicknamed “Peggy”, of Covington, Kentucky while vacationing in Florida. The couple married on September 15, 1962 at Blessed Sacrament Church in Fort Mitchell, Kentucky. Joe and Peggy initially lived in Yonkers and then moved to Mahopac in upstate New York. Their two daughters, Diane and Christina, were both born while they lived in Mahopac. In 1973, the family moved to Gaithersburg, Maryland.

Joe worked as a computer programmer and later manager at IBM from 1961 until 1992. After Joe retired, he and Peggy started Kingsway, a business where they sold watches, jewelry and other items at federal government buildings in the Washington, DC area and later at flea markets in Florida. Joe and Peggy moved to Zellwood Station, Florida in 2004 where they bought a house on a golf course. Peggy passed away in 2017 and Joe moved to Country Meadows in Frederick, Maryland in 2022 to be closer to his daughters.

Joe loved traveling with his family in their motor home, tinkering around home, watching football and playing golf. In Zellwood, he was an active member of the Red Caps, a charitable association which provided support to the local community. He also enjoyed trivia night at Zellwood, bingo and, of course, happy hour at Country Meadows.

Joe is survived by his daughters, Diane King Widmann and husband John of Frederick, Maryland and Christina Vert and husband Kenneth of North Potomac, Maryland; his three grandchildren: Hans Widmann of Frederick, Martin Widmann and wife Malkia of Baltimore, Maryland, and Samantha Vert of North Potomac; his great-granddaughter Margot Widmann of Baltimore; his sisters-in-law Ann King and Carol King; and brother-in-law John Rogers. He was predeceased by his parents and by his brothers and sisters Howard, Kenneth and his wife Sheila, Gregory, Judith and Blanche.

Donations may be made in Joe’s honor to the 29th Division Association, Post 78, P.O. Box 1882, Frederick, MD 21702. https://29thdivisionassociation.com/29th-division-post-78/donate