David Frank King

David was an accomplished artist, master craftsman, devoted father, caring husband, dedicated teacher, inveterate traveler, avid collector, and a lifelong San Francisco 49ers fan. He was well known for his quick wit, ribald jokes, keen memory, and enthusiastic story telling. David lived his life to the full.

On November 24, 1937, David was the first baby born at the newly constructed Sutter Memorial Hospital in Sacramento, California. He was the youngest of three brothers born to Ruth and Frank King. His brother, Robert (Bob), was also an artist and teacher who, like David, had a brush with death at sea. David’s oldest brother, Dennis, ended a life-long career in aviation as a 747 captain. Bob and Dennis are deceased.

Having graduated from McClatchy high school, David then attended Sacramento City College where he earned an A.A. in Art. After his graduation from community college, David planned to travel throughout Europe for a year. While on route to the east coast where he was set to sail on Holland America's S.S. Ryndam, David began feeling ill, and after two days at sea, suffering increasingly severe stomach pain and extreme headache, he realized he could not endure the pain. Doctors aboard the ship consulted with one another and within five minutes a decision was made that the ship would turn course and be routed to Halifax, Nova Scotia where an emergency appendectomy was performed. David’s harrowing tale made the national news.

After a month long recovery in Halifax, David purchased a new fare and finally made the crossing to Europe on Holland-America’s S.S. Rotterdam. He traveled throughout Europe carrying a cloth rucksack that ended up well worn and covered in patches from the many countries he visited. David chronicled his travels in a pocket diary and would recount tales of his European experiences with family and friends throughout his life. David’s European adventures instilled a life long love for traveling that he avidly pursued until his health began to fail.

David continued to follow his interest in art by enrolling at Sacramento State College. After graduating with a B.A. in Art, David enlisted in the Naval Air Reserve and was stationed in Alameda, California. He was honorably discharged. Continuing to pursue his passion for art, David earned an M.A. from U.C. Davis. His admittance to graduate school was put at risk when he was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. In the end, it all worked out and he felt fortunate to be at U.C. Davis with an exceptionally talented group of fellow students and faculty, most of whom, like David, would have long renowned careers in art.

After graduate school, David was hired in 1967 as an art instructor at Diablo Valley College (DVC) in Pleasant Hill, California where he taught until retiring in 1999. While at DVC, David organized several trips to New York City to visit artist’s studios and galleries. Many of those who traveled with David to New York would recount how these trips inspired a lifelong appreciation and love of art.

As a sculptor, David’s medium was primarily wood and assemblage. During the 70's and early 80's he built hammers, saws, and other various implements that were both elegant and humorous. His works’ titles, which featured wordplay and homages to other artists, were integral to his sculptures. Exhibit reviews of these works were glowing. In the early 90’s, David began a series of large scale totemic sculptures which reflected his long standing fascination with the shamanic implements of the tribal arts. Lastly, returning to a theme of elegance and whimsey, David's Strider sculptures were a series of human figures built from found objects in which he engagingly captured movement, posture, and attitude.

One of David's proudest accomplishments was his conception, curation, and execution of a major exhibition for the the Richmond Art Center in Richmond, California entitled, H.C. Westermann West. David and his wife, Melani, produced a full-color, hardbound catalogue for the exhibit that paid fitting tribute to one of David’s favorite artists.

David is survived by his wife of 35 years, Melani; two children from his first marriage, Sydney and Whitney; and his four beloved grandchildren, Casey, Eden, India, and Stella