Philip Warren King

WAYCROSS — Philip Warren King bid this world adieu and transitioned to heaven Monday, August 1, 2022, following an extended illness.

Born into a family of then nine, on November 9, 1959, to Sam and Ecie King, King was the baby for a while until his youngest brother came into the world.

God went all out when he created King, making him a one of kind, amazing human who enriched the lives of all those he knew and came in contact with. He didn’t meet a stranger, and if he did, well it didn’t stay that way for long. King had this way of pulling you in, of making you feel so very loved and important. Like you mattered. Especially the cashier at a local pharmacy when he asked them if “So I chew this bug repellent bracelet, that’ll keep the bugs away?” This was just one of the many jokes that was a huge part of King’s personality.

Between being a professional splinter remover (“Let me just get my knife and I’ll get that out for you”) and being Superman — he never met a task he couldn’t figure out or fix — he was a loving husband and best friend to his wife, Laura Beth Browning-King, and to his former wife of 43 years Teresa James King (Waycross).

Included in his Griswold-esque antics, especially when Christmas trees or lights were involved, were often his three sons, Brent King (Melissa King) of Woodstock, Ga., Jared King (Ashley King) of Waycross, Ryan King (Tristen King) of Waycross. His stepdaughter, Annabeth Phoebe Fortner and his former daughter-in-law, Haley Garmon, still remained part of those antics too, as well as his beloved grandchildren, Mazie, Graham and Claire of Woodstock, and Seth and Sofia King of Waycross.

He was a well-known King family Scrabble champion and that’s not to say he didn’t cheat a time or two with made up words (“VBN is a word,” he would playfully and vehemently say and then make up the most random definition of it), and was the king, pun absolutely intended, of all naps.

The man made snoring a whole other language. The naps were to make up for the fact that King worked at the Waycross Fire Department with his favorite co-workers for 27 years, and during that time he saved countless lives.

He was a huge fan of collecting lawn mowers like baseball cards, along with buckets from the side of the road — because you never knew when you’d need a bucket from the side of the road. If you ever had the incredible opportunity to have King cook for you, then you were a lucky person — a side of comedy and kindness with the best pecan cookies or potato soup or fried turkey you’ll ever have in your life. He had fun in the kitchen and in every aspect of his life.

King was loyal and reliable to his friends and family and was always just a phone call away.

He also was a fan of the Georgia Bulldogs before it was cool because that’s the kind of trendsetter he was. King was the most outgoing and talkative of all 20, excuse me, 10 of his siblings. He was always the one making people laugh. King was a ray of sunshine and you couldn’t help but to love him.

He was preceded in death by both of his parents, Sam and Ecie King, as well as one sibling, Sandra Flesch.

King leaves behind Linda Wilson (Jerry), Pam Douberly (Robert), Bill King (Arlene), Scott King (Melissa), June Walker (Dave), Sam King and Mike King of Waycross, his brother, Joey King (Patty) of Blairsville, Ga., and his brother, Terral King (Beverly) of Pensacola, Fla., as well as countless nieces and nephews.

Above all, King was a family man. He loved his wife, his boys, his daughters-in-law, and grandchildren. King was a wonderful father and was without a doubt one of the best humans this world will ever see.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to Mattie’s Mission, P.O. Box 2211, Waycross, 31502.

Sympathy may be expressed by signing online at www.milesodumfuneralhome.com

Miles-Odum Funeral Home was in charge of the arrangements.