Cover photo for Josephine King's Obituary
Josephine King Profile Photo
1942 Josephine 2017

Josephine King

August 23, 1942 — February 16, 2017

Jo was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 08/23/1942 of Marie and
Pasqualle Perrella. She was raised in South Philadelphia. She met her
husband, Tom, on 12/05/1960 after two months after writing him a
friendly letter at the request of his aunt Cass who Jo worked for. Her
husband was on a Marine Corps Caribbean Cruise and he had asked his
aunt if she could get one of her employees to write him a letter since he
was lonely on the ship. His aunt had several girls working for her at the
time. She chose Jo because she knew Jo would be a wonderful
connection for Tom. When the cruise ended Tom went up to
Philadelphia from Camp Lejeune and took Jo on a date to a drive in
theater. After the movie, he took Jo home. In front of her parents’
house he got his first kiss. While kissing, a heavy knock on the window
happened. It was Jo’s mother. Jo took Tom into the house to meet her
parents. Over the next 67 weeks, Tom drove the 425 miles from Camp
Lejeune to Philadelphia to date Jo every weekend. Eight months after
meeting, they got engaged. Tom and Jo got married on 11/18/1961. In
01/1962, Jo moved down to Mayville, NC where she and Tom lived for
three months. Tom was then sent on a six month Mediterranean
Cruise. While he was in Turkey, Jo had their first Son, Tom III, at the
Philadelphia Naval Hospital in September 1962. Tom returned from
Med Cruise in November 1962 and Jo moved back to Camp Lejeune
where they lived in an on-base trailer until 07/1963 when Tom
reenlisted in the Marine Corps and they got transferred to Quantico, VA
where their next son, Patrick, was born. Patrick was born in October
1963. They spent one year at the Marine Corps Base Quantico after
which they were transferred to the Defense Language Institute in
Monterey, CA. They spent one year at Monterey, after which Tom
transferred to Camp Pendleton and Jo and their two sons went back to
New Jersey and lived in South Jersey for the next six or so months. In
02/1966, their son Tim was born. He was born in the Atlantic City
Hospital. At that time, Tom had been assigned to an Army Intelligence
School at Fort Holabird, MD. After the school ended in about 04/1966,
Jo and their three sons and Tom went across country again to Camp
Pendleton. In 02/1967, Tom was assigned to Vietnam and Jo moved
back to South Jersey where she and their sons lived until Tom returned
from Vietnam in 12/1967. In 01/1968, Jo and her family moved to
Washington, DC where Tom was then attending the Defense Language
East Coast Branch studying another foreign language. They lived in
Washington DC until about 12/1968 when Tom transferred to Quantico
to attend Officer’s Candidate School. Their daughter, Marianne, was
born in 09/1968 at Andrews Air Force Base while Jo was living in DC.
Jo and her family lived in Quantico until about 07/1969 when Tom
again transferred to Camp Pendleton. Jo and her family were in Camp
Pendleton until 01/1972 when her husband was transferred to Japan.
The family again moved to South Jersey and lived there until 01/1973
when Tom returned and was transferred to Camp Lejeune. She lived in
Camp Lejeune until the summer of 1975 when Tom transferred to Fort
Huachuca, AZ where he again attended Army Intelligent Schools for a
year. In 07/1976, Jo’s husband was transferred to Okinawa, Japan. Jo
and her four kids remained at Fort Huachuca. In 08/1977, Tom
received an accompanied tour assignment in Okinawa and Jo and the
kids moved to Japan. She lived in Okinawa from 08/1977 until about
03/1981 when Tom was assigned to the Marine Corps Base at 29 Palms
in California. In 06/1982, Tom was transferred to Headquarters
Marine Corps and Jo and the family moved from 29 Palms to Vienna, VA
where they lived until 06/1983 when Tom decided to retire from the
Corps. He took a job in Encino, CA and Jo and the kids moved to Simi
Valley. Jo has been a Simi Valley resident since 08/1983.
She moved 11 times coast to coast and four time up and down each
coast as well as moving to Japan where they were finally together for 3
½ consecutive years. During their first fifteen years of marriage, Tom
was away for 7 ½ years. Jo raised a remarkable family. She had her
four children by the time she was 26 years old. Over their 22 years of
marriage while in the Marine Corps, they never lived in one place more
than a year and a half expect for their 3 ½ year tour in Okinawa.
Considering all of this in Jo’s life, she never complained about anything.
After moving to Simi Valley, she immediately joined St Peter Claver
Church. She was initially involved in the choir. She was a choir
member for several years. In the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Jo was a
youth minister and took the young children who attended mass with
their parents and would teach them during the liturgy. In 2000, Jo
became a Eucharistic Minister. She was a Eucharistic Minister until
recently, a total of 16 years. Over ten years ago, she decided to be a
bible study leader and has held bible study at her house for the past ten
years. She was a great mother, wife, and friend. Her generosity was
unfathomable. She was a person of genuine care and concern for
others. There is no other person who could have greater faith and
belief in the Lord our God. Jo was indeed a role model for others.
Jo is survived by her husband, Tom, her son Tom III and his wife
Deanna, her son Pat and his wife Shirley, her son Tim and his wife Cindy,
her daughter Marianne, her four granddaughters Chelsea, Hayley,
Crysten, and Savanah, her two grandsons Zach and Noah, her
great-grandson Cooper, and her loving sister, Anna.
She will be dearly missed by everyone who knew her.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Josephine King, please visit our flower store.

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Friday, February 24, 2017

St. Peter Claver Catholic Church

2380 Stow Street, Simi Valley, CA 93063

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Reardon Simi Valley Funeral Home

2636 Sycamore Drive, Simi Valley, CA 93065

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