Sara King

Sara S. King, 88, resident of Endicott, NY passed away peacefully on February 10, 2021. Sara was predeceased by her father Col. Forrest C. Shaffer (Army), her mother Edith C. Shaffer, her sister Esther Stoddard Graves, and her brother Forrest Shaffer. Sara is survived by her husband John H. King, Jr. of Camillus, NY, her children Russell and Mary Ann King of Marblehead, MA and Ellen and Mark Shearer of Skaneateles, NY, her four grandchildren Sara Brown, Cassandra Shearer, and Christopher and Damien King, and by her four great grandchildren. She is also survived by her nephew and two nieces. Sara was born in Philadelphia in 1932 with joyful bright blue eyes and red hair. She attended and graduated from The Chaffee School in Hartford, CT and then Connecticut College for Women. After meeting John at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH, they soon married in 1957 and lived in Livingston, NJ before relocating to the Southern Tier of NY, where they lived together until 2018. Known as “Grandma Ouchie” or “Grami” to her grandkids, or as his “favorite penguin” by John, Sara was beloved by her family. She loved dogs her entire life, especially her cherished collie, Sunny, and later Labradors Daisy and Monty. She golfed and played tennis and she was an avid reader and knitter (usually mittens for the kids). She also liked shopping and travel. She played bridge well and treasured her card companions and their yearly retreats. She was always loyal and always ready to listen and support her children, her friends, and those she cared for. For decades she volunteered her time and energy to causes and to those in need of support in the Southern Tier, whether college-educated young women (through the AAUW), flood victims or the mentally disabled. A gifted organizer, she voluntarily handled merchandise donations and the warehouse inventory for the WSKG-TV auction for many years before finally joining the staff. She also found time to sacrifice her soul on numerous waterborne ordeals as first mate on John’s (aka Captain Bligh’s) racing sailboats.

A private family service will be held at Vestal Hills Cemetery on Monday, February 15, 2021 at 11:00 am. A celebration of Sara’s life is planned when it is safe and sensible to gather again. In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity of your choice in memory of Sara.