Daniel John King

Daniel J. King was born to Elden and Jo Anne King, on August 18th, 1955, in Redmond, Oregon. He attended grade school in Mapleton, Oregon, and in the seventh grade (1967) moved to Chugiak, Alaska with his family. Dan was in the Boy Scouts and played the trombone in band. Daniel attended Chugiak Junior Senior High School, where he participated in Wrestling, Hockey, and Football. During his Senior year he worked as a stocker at Carrs in Eagle River.

In 1974, Daniel joined the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers. He had a 37-year career as a Boilermaker, working for multiple contractors. He was a Certified Welder, as well as a Certified Welding Inspector. He enjoyed working with the tools, however during the latter part of his career Dan worked mostly in supervision, as Foreman, GF, and Superintendent on multiple multi-million dollar projects. At the Humboldt Bay Regeneration Project in Eureka, California, he was the General Superintendent for Haskell Corporation. He was a hard working Boilermaker and a great leader. Dan retired at age 55 to Mexico.

Daniel married Martha Charlene (Cheri) Cushing, in 1984, and in 1985 they moved to Palmer, with her son Sherman Leifer. In 1992, Dan and Cheri moved to Anchorage, and in 2007 they moved to San Nicolas, on the Sea of Cortez in Baja California Sur, Mexico. In 2011 they began transitioning to Puerto Lopez Mateos on the Pacific side of Baja California Sur, Mexico. Dan and Cheri’s home in Puerto Lopez Mateos was named Casa Osprey.

Dan and Cheri always had dogs, including Sheila, Swifty, Fifty, Killer, Rabble, Kiara, Angel, Linda and his beloved Candy.

Dan had many interests and hobbies, including Harley Davidson motorcycles, collecting firearms, snowboarding, scuba diving, fishing, photography, woodworking and steel fabrication. Dan and Cheri also enjoyed traveling around the world including trips to Africa, Russia, Mexico, New Zealand, Thailand and the Caribbean.

Daniel J. King died peacefully in his sleep on the morning of June 5, 2016, due to emphysema. It was a surprise to all, as he appeared in good health. He was only 60 years old and we all thought we had many more years to spend with him. Dan loved his grandchildren, nieces, and nephews. He was enjoying his retirement and was beginning to spend more time with family. He always had a level head and an infectious laugh. He will be missed by his Boilermaker Brothers, all he worked with over the years, the friends he made in retirement, but mostly by his wife and family.

Dan is survived by his parents, Elden and Jo Anne King, of McMinnville, Oregon; his wife Martha King, of Puerto Lopez Mateos; his step-son, Sherman Leifer and wife Oakey and their children, John, Marissa, Logan and Jerzy, of Palmer, Alaska; his sisters, Debbie Grimes, of Nikiski, Alaska, and Kati King, of Bloomington, Illinois; nieces, Kimberly Porter and husband Will, of Budapest, Hungary, Bethany Fernandez and husband Matt, of Anchorage, Alaska, Emily Brigham and husband Todd and their children Elijah, Braden, and Josie of Nikiski, Alaska.