Maurice Alan King
February 24, 1959 ~ March 15, 2009
Resided in:
Atlanta, GA
Maurice Alan King, 50, of Atlanta, GA, passed away on Sunday, March 15, 2009.
He was the son of M. Bruce King of Asheville, NC, and the late Alice Banner Walker of Mooresville, NC. He was born in Morganton, NC, spent his formative years in Asheville, and went to high school in Tampa, FL.
He graduated in 1982 from the University of Florida at Gainesville with a B.A. in history. For the last 20 years, he worked in sales and marketing at Concepts, Inc., a sports-themed marketing company located in Decatur, GA.
He was a talented writer and storyteller; he wrote poetry, short stories, and two novels. He loved sports and was a great fan of the Florida Gators. He was an avid reader, movie buff, and trivia gamer. He also enjoyed cooking, gardening, photography, driving his convertible with the top down and the music playing, and wearing his signature footwear -- American made, high topped Chuck Taylor tennis shoes. He enjoyed life in his own unique way, but was always attentive to his family and friends. He will be greatly missed.
In addition to his father, he is survived by his sister, Sylvia King Kochler, and brother in law, Keith W. Kochler of Franklin, NC; grandmother, Maude Silver King of Waynesville, NC; aunt, Nina Banner Dameron of Greensboro, NC; uncle and aunt, David and Ida King of Gray Court, SC; and uncle, Robert Allison of Taylors, SC. In addition to his mother, he is preceded in death by his aunt, Katherine King Allison.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, March 28, at the chapel of Groce Funeral Home, 1401 Patton Avenue, Asheville, NC, with the Rev. Anthony R. Sayer officiating.
The family will receive friends from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at the funeral home, then again following the service at the fellowship hall of Abernethy United Methodist Church.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Boy Scouts of America, Daniel Boone Council, 333 West Haywood St., Asheville, N.C. 28801.
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I am very sorry for your loss Alan was sucha wonderful unique persaon. He could always make you laugh no matter what . He is going to be greatly missed here in Atlanta
Tara
I will miss ‘Big Mo’ so much. He was a wonderful person…bigger than life with a heart of gold.
I will always remember him calling me ‘Georgie’ and smile when I think of the fun summer at my old condo pool with Mo and our friends grilling out and laughing, telling ‘war stories’.
The world is a smaller place without Big Mo.
Love you Mo,
‘Georgie’
I will miss you ‘Big Mo’, we all will. May God bless his family and all those that were close to him.
Big Moe , will miss you , Steve’o
Dearest Friend, I will miss you forever. Life will never be the same without ‘Big Moe’. We have a friendship like no other. It’s hard to say good-bye. I love you!
My heart goes out to Alan’s family, I hope that you are all handling his death as well as possible. My memories of Alan are wonderful, childhood memories when we were neighbors. He had such a great sense of humor and had a genuine zest for life! I see that he lived his entire life with that same childhood love of life, and I am happy for him! Sylvia, my best wishes to you, I am truly sorry for your loss.
Alan, you will be dearly missed. Thanks for all the memories. You were a good friend to many.
Big Moe, we shared a lot of memorable times. You were always there for me and I considered you a great friend. You will be missed. Tell Wayne hello for me buddy!!!!
Big Moe was my first roomate at UofF in 1977. We also attended Chamberlain H.S. together. During our senior year at Chamberlain and the first year in Gatorland, I was his sidekick, playing Sancho Panza to his Don Quixote. In our youth, we shared a disdain for authority. Big Moe loved people and could be the best of friends in a pinch. He was a gifted performer, story teller and writer. He introduced me to the music of Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs. I can still here him singing the ‘Salty Dog Blues’ in our dormroom while sipping his beloved Jack Daniels. Big Moe had the courage of a lion and would never back down from a fight if he thought he was in the right. He had an impressive raw intelligence and a personality that was like a force of nature. His was one of the great souls and I will never forget him as long as I live. I hope to join him again someday in that great Gator Growl in the sky. Until that time, I wish him green grass and high tides forever.—Ol’Polo
Although I did not spend much time around Big Moe the last few years, I will vividly remember some of the times we shared during our Chamberlain H.S. Rowdy days & scouring the streets of Gainesville in search of excitement. Being with him was always an event. Be it something as simple as playing a pick-up basketball game or attending a Gator game, if you were with Moe, you were not going to be bored.
He was a very loyal and generous friend, usually the smartest person in the room, always the loudest person in the room and his family and friends should take condolences in the fact that he packed a lot of life in his 50 years.
You will be missed Big Moe, your friend, Tim.
I couldn’t believe it was you Alan so I had to check my ’77 Totem, but it was you indeed. I remember your enthusiasm for all things and most importantly, your ‘Elvis’ imitations..We thought we’d live forever.
I am a 2nd cousin once removed (I think)of Moe and I only knew him briefly from a couple family reunions. I just want to thank all of the people that took the time to sign this so that I may feel like I knew Moe. I knew him as Alan but now, thanks to all of you, I know Moe. Much love…I feel lucky to be related!
Your humor and creative spirit will be missed by all who knew you. High School would never have been what it was without your morning banter and creative brillance. We have all lost people in our lives but you will be missed more than most. You wrote the book on individuality and personality. I will miss you and I pray your family finds comfort in the knowledge that you touched many lives before them as I am sure you did with them. I love you and will miss you.
Sherri
I’m praying for you. May the Lord comfort you in your loss.
Dear Family,
Although I didn’t stay in touch with him after high school, Big Mo was probably THE most memorable character from the Class of ’77. He made excitement happen. He looked for the quirky side of any situation and I wasn’t at all surprised to learn that he had became a successful writer. Most of his great one liners were only enjoyed by his close circle of friends because he muttered them under his breath, not wasting them on the populace. Rest in peace.
My condolences to Alan’s family during this time of loss and sadness. I enjoyed Alan so much in the halls of Chamberlain High School. Although I didn’t know him very well on a personal level, I will always remember the smiles he could create in people, the pondering he could stir up and the community he created. Big Moe, the King, and all his characters were just a small example of his depth. I pray that Alan’s family and friends find hope and peace through his passing.
I had to think about the things I will miss about Big Moe. Sharing Gators football victories, seeing him in his chuck taylor’s (one orange and one blue), his infectious laugh, waiving the UF flag at the games, running circles around UF professors and his outrageous sense of humor. But most of all I’ll miss his friendship and the way he would do anything for a friend. I’m sure where ever he is, he’s taking charge and will have everything in order when we all join him one day. I’ll miss you my friend. You’ve given me a lifetime of wonderful memories!
Your brother sounds like a person we would loved to have known. You were very lucky to have had someone so special.
Remember we are just around the bend if you need us!
Dear Sylvia & Keith,
Our hearts and prayers are with you in this very sad time.
Your Zontian sisters are here for you.
Love, Linda McCall
Dear Sylvia & Keith,
My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. May all the wonderful memories of your brother live within your heart and bring you joy forever.
Your friend,
Rita
Sylvia & Keith,
My deepest sympathy to you on the loss of your brother. May you find comfort and peace in your fond memories of Alan.
Yours in ZONTA,
Peggy Milton
Although I found out about Alan’s passing last week it has been difficult to express the loss in words. We can tell by all the warm writings that everyone has been blessed and enriched by our relationships with Alan. He has touched so many people and we have all been rewarded with so many valuable memories. Alan’s gift of giving of himself was evident throughout his life. I can’t remember when I had the opportunity to give to him, only for him to give to me. The “Gator Nation†and his friends have taken a heavy hit that can’t be replaced. Hopefully we may see a bit of a reflection in our lives of what Alan gave to each of us so we can find peace.
From all of us at Concepts Inc., Moe was a vital part of our business but more importantly a member of our family. His legacy is that he would stir the pudding, chew you out one day and love and hug you the next. His flair for the dramatic, his knowledge, his openness to help others, the doo rags, Converse shoes, GO GATORS and the silver Mustang convertible are already missed.
“ When my time to live this life is over
I’ll tip my hat when I think about that swim
And of all things that make a life worth living
That only comes to those who dive right inâ€
To the family/the big moe king was a generous person. He gave us the name of the pavillion where we had my daughter wedding. around the office he gave me the name love joy and sometime ask me to pray for things or family. we miss him already.
To the family of ‘Big Moe’,
I just want to give my codolences for the ‘Big Moe King’. My name is Carolyn and Moe gave everybody a nickname around the office. He called me ‘Mountain Dewberry’. I was always witnessing to Moe, passing out religious tracks and talking to him about God. I told him that he was a child of God whether he believed it or not. For his 50th birthday, I gave him a booklet about the ‘Gifts of the Spirit’. My prayer is that he read it. I truly believe he did, because the Friday before his spirit left his earthly vessel, he passed me a note with a very hot lead about the ’50th anniversary’ of a school that I was working,and told me that I should get a lot of sales as a result. We were different in many ways, but one thing we had in common is that we had a love for writing poetry and short stories.
It’s not the same without you Moe. Love & Peace,
Carolyn ‘Mountain Dewberry’
Your Sister in Christ
To the family of Maurice King,
My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours. We at Concepts will always miss Maurice and his knocks on the door before entering the building each morning.
God bless and prayers,
Victoria Moses
Moe I miss you and to the family
my prayers go to you for your loss.
I miss you moe.
Love Lisa Mayes/ coworker
One of my most unforgettable characters.
Love Always, Crytal Nixon
Jesus said the MOST importnat thing to Him was for us to love one another. Mo was the most giving, caring person I have EVER known. There’s NOTHING Mo wouldn’t do to help ANYBODY. He coined the phrase: ‘He would give you the shirt off his back’ I’ll never forget the day I got out of Grady Hospital. Mo took off work and picked me up at the front entrance, insisted I take $50. (as I was broke) took me to a restaurant, took me by my house to change clothes, took me by Marta and bought me a weekly pass, and then to work and and back home, afterward.
The bible says we will all be judged according to our works. Of all the people I know, Mo (by far) had the most Christ-like works. As we have all been deceived and confused with what we have heard or learned in life, God therefore says, that He ‘searches the reigns of our hearts’, ie our intentions. Mo’s intentions were as noble as anyone’s I’ve known.
Big Mo, I’ll miss you more than you could know.
Goodbye Mo, I love you brother.
Charlie Crow
P.s. Tell Wayne I’ll see ya’ll soon
Dearest Family and Friends,
I was so devastated to hear of our great loss. Alan was more than a friend to so many of us. He was always checkin in on me and always there when anyone needed him. His quick wit and soft heart made him a man among men and the universe got smaller when this star got dim. The most cherished memory I have of Alan is when my mother passed away. With no request or hint of need he composed a prayer for me and the Pastor prayed this prayer as we closed her service. How fitting it would be for his family and friends to hear a prayer that he wrote. It is short and sweet and I hope it warms your heats hearing the words that ‘Big Moe’ wrote for me.
A Prayer by Maurice A. King
Oh! Father, thanks be to you,
For our dear departed’s life,
Comfort us in our loss,
As you lead us to you,
Oh! To the Son,
Ascends our most beloved,
Hosannas in the heaven,
From angels at the receiving,
Oh! Holy Ghost our Shepherd,
By your words we are directed,
Over time and in thy love,
We will all be resurrected!
With all of my love,
Terry Hollifield Temples
Dear Maude,Bruce and all the King Family,
I am so sorry for your loss. He seemed to be a very talented man.
Our dear loved friends from Deaver View are still in our heart and will always be.
Know that Jesus is a Friend that sticketh closer than a brother and is our comfort in the time of grief.
May you feel my prayers for you.
Jean Crook Harris
Mo was a dear friend and confidant. We loved him very much and will miss him. If it were not for him, we would not have met.
The Big Mo… One of a kind no doubt. As the very first(1984-5) of dozens over decades to share space in my N. Druid Hills home and become a lasting friend, he will always be remembered as a unique force of nature… unforgettable, unparalleled, untameable, so highly spirited and full of life. We had some good times, good laughs for sure. RIP MO!
I will miss working with Moe here at Concepts! I can’t share the nickname he gave me but trust me, it was funny as crap and most people could not understand how I found it funny but that’s why he and I clicked….I appreciated his humor, his ability to ‘get things stirred up’ here in the office and his generous nature. We fought like cats and dogs once and the next day he brought me a bowl of his homemade chili just because he remembered I said chili is one thing I wish I could make well but I can’t for some reason. He gave me his recipe and I will now call my dish ‘Chili From A King’ in honor of my friend. I will miss you terribly!
I just learned of Alan’s passing and was very saddened by the loss.
I remember Alan as the tall skinny kid that moved in a couple of houses down from me in high school. It didn’t take long for us to be good friends. Living next door meant we spent a lot of time together, and I can honestly say that having Alan around changed my high school days. After the first few years following high school, I lost touch with Alan, and I regret not staying in touch with him. Alan was unique and very smart. I will miss the thought of him out there in the world still being himself. I will always remember him as the tall skinny kid that made me laugh so hard. Rest in peace, my friend.
For more than seven years, Maurice sold me and my company little plastic footballs the local high school cheerleaders would throw into the crowd at football games. Often our conversations would turn to our favorite college football teams and Maurice always would rib me about how his beloved Florida Gators and the SEC kept kicking butt on my beloved Ohio State Buckeyes in the BCS games. I enjoyed those conversations, if not the games. I was shocked to call up today and inquire about an issue with this year’s supply of footballs only to find out Maurice unexpectedly had died. I send my condolences to his family and friends. I could tell he was a great guy, definitely way too young for this to happen and certainly he will be missed.
I only found out today about Alan’s passing. I am devastated. I live in Florida and had no way of knowing. Alan and I always called each other on New year’s eve to wish the best to each other. He was my Gator buddy at the Tavern and I will miss him terribly. He was a genius and a funny guy rolled into one.
Maurice Alan King – redoubtable, inimitable and unforgettable