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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Denise thanks for posting this. What a beautiful tribute to Kitty. Her loss inspires me to keep in better touch with long-time members of the NFB of Florida. My heart goes out to Joe and family. I just loved Kitty. She was so caring and sweet. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Sherri<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> NFBF-L <nfbf-l-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>DENISE VALKEMA via NFBF-L<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, October 27, 2023 9:24 AM<br><b>To:</b> NFBF <nfbf-l@nfbnet.org>; NFBF <nfbf-leaders@nfbnet.org><br><b>Cc:</b> DENISE VALKEMA <valkemadenise@aol.com><br><b>Subject:</b> [NFBF-L] Sad news-Kitty King passed away<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#00141E;letter-spacing:-.4pt;background:#FAFAFA'>Ruth King Obituary</span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div><div style='margin-bottom:.25in;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;box-sizing: border-box;hyphens: auto;overflow-wrap: break-word'><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:18.0pt;background:#FAFAFA'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#404F57'>Obituary published on Legacy.com by Oak Ridge Funeral Care - Winter Haven on Oct. 26, 2023.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><p class=paragraph-sc-osiab4-0 style='margin-bottom:0in;line-height:21.0pt;background:#FAFAFA;-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;max-height: none;box-sizing: border-box;overflow-wrap: break-word;overflow:visible'><span style='font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"PT Serif",serif;color:#00141E'>Obituary of Ruth Kathleen King<br>Ruth Kathleen (Kitty) Spickard King of Winter Haven passed away peacefully at home on October 25, 2023.<br>Kitty was born, raised and lived her entire life in Winter Haven, Florida. She was a proud and devoted mother, wife, daughter, sister and aunt, and member of Beymer Methodist Church. While first and foremost a mother and homemaker, along with Joe, her husband of 52 years, Kitty advocated for experiences and opportunities for young adults, blind people and those in need of transportation services.<br>Kitty graduated from Winter Haven High School with the class of 1949. She was a bookkeeper for Mac Plumbing and later received a degree from the Southern College of Business in Medical Transcription. She was co-owner of King's Cycle & Repair bicycle shop in Winter Haven.<br>Kitty was a devoted member of Beymer Memorial United Methodist Church for over 70 years. In the 1950's she taught junior-high Sunday school, became Youth Director in the 1960s, and Nursery coordinator in the 1970s. She volunteered at Brigham Elementary and was a Den Mother for Cub Scout Troop 123.<br>Kitty was an advocate for the blind through the National Federation of the Blind, Polk County Chapter. She worked to bring transportation solutions to Winter Haven, which became Winter Haven Area Transit (WHAT). In 2014, Kitty and Joe were honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Florida Commission for the Transportation Disadvantaged.<br>Kitty is survived by her husband Joe, son Thomas (Annette), sister Sharon Shaver, nieces Karen Spickard Strnad, Debbie Spickard Hatch, Pam Shaver Dohmlo (Philip), Kim Shaver Luaces (Eddie), nephews Wesley Spickard, Jonathan Spickard and James Spickard.<br>Visitation and Services will be Sunday, October 29, 2023 at 2PM at Beymer Church, 700 N. Lake Howard Drive Winter Haven, FL. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Florida United Methodist Children's Home or Beymer Church.<br>To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Ruth King, please visit Tribute Sto<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"PT Serif",serif;color:#404F57;background:#FAFAFA'><br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"PT Serif",serif;color:#404F57;background:#FAFAFA'>To plant trees in memory, please visit the </span><a href="https://sympathy.legacy.com/en-us/funeral-flowers/productdetails/?type=obituary&p=205573138&pn=ruth-king&affiliateId=4359&v=01&sku=tre-tim&pm=240"><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"PT Serif",serif;color:#006699'>Sympathy Store</span></a><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"PT Serif",serif;color:#404F57;background:#FAFAFA'>.</span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"PT Serif",serif;color:#404F57;background:#FAFAFA'><br><br></span><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:18.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:15.0pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#00141E'>10/29/2023 Service<o:p></o:p></span></b></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:18.0pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#00141E'>3:00 p.m.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:18.0pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#00141E'>Beymer Memorial United Methodist Church<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.5pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#00141E'>700 North Lake Howard Drive, Winter Haven, FL<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:16.5pt'><span style='font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Open Sans",sans-serif;color:#00141E'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div><div><div id=TabsRoot><div><div style='border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 3.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;box-sizing: border-box;--bs-text-opacity: 1;border-bottom-width:0.125rem;border-bottom-color:transparent;padding:0.5rem 1rem !important' id=donateWith><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif;color:#212529'>Donate with<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Source Sans Pro",sans-serif;color:#212529'>(X)( )( )( )<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div><div><div><div><h1 style='margin:0in'><span style='font-size:21.0pt;font-weight:normal'>Donate via <a href="https://help.pledgeling.org/support/solutions/articles/36000037338-what-is-pledgeling-foundation-" target="_blank" title="Learn more"><span style='color:#212529'>Pledge</span></a> to </span><span class=d-block>Florida United Methodist Children's Home</span><br><br><o:p></o:p></h1></div></div></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/ruth-king-obituary?id=53440499">https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/ruth-king-obituary?id=53440499</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Please keep Joe King and family in your thoughts and prayers. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Thanks,<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'>Denise Valkema<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'>National Federation of the Blind of Florida board of directors <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='color:black'>(305)972-8529</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></div></div></body></html>