SCARBOROUGH – Victoria Albenia King, a resident of Piper Shores in Scarborough, passed away peacefully on March 7 at 100 years of age.

“Bena”, as she was fondly called, was the daughter of Pio and Victoria Zamarchi, who immigrated from Rimini, Italy, in 1905. She was born in Portsmouth, N.H., on Jan. 20, 1922, where she grew up and attended school with her four siblings. After high school she was an accounting clerk for the Italian Cooperation until she married Russell King, who was in the U.S. Navy. Following the end of World War Il, they settled in Cape Elizabeth with their two children, Betty and Danny, where they lived for 45 years.

Bena was an avid homemaker, a successful Avon representative for over six decades, ran a rewarding alteration business, gave sewing lessons to her friends, loved modeling beautiful clothes for various local stores and owned a seasonal card and gift business. She was noted for her impeccable sense of style and grace. Her sewing abilities were limitless which allowed her to always be updating her wardrobe to the latest trends.

Throughout her life she had a love of music and was a gifted self-taught pianist who could play by ear. Victoria was a member of the Cape Elizabeth Women’s Club (president), Cumberland County Extension, Italian American Club, Longfellow Garden Club, Victoria Mansion Society, Cape Elizabeth Garden Club, Mercy

Hospital Auxiliary, Cape Elizabeth/South Portland Seniors (president), and Scarborough Seniors.

Her hobbies were golfing, piano playing, dancing, oil painting, remodeling clothes, cooking and reading health and nutritional literature. She was an amazing pastry chef who always prepared enough desserts for all family gatherings that would feed the family, neighbors and more.

She was an incredible mother and grandmother. Her family was everything to her, and she had boundless energy for them. She cared for her grandchildren on special overnights making endless batches of caramel corn. She taught her great-grandchildren how to play the piano. She was always the first call you got on your birthday with a Happy Birthday serenade.

After her husband died, Victoria moved to Scarborough, where she met her new soul mate, Harold Snow. Together they relished cooking, roasting chestnuts and traveling around the world for over 20 years, until Harold passed in 2011. In 2013, Victoria moved to Piper Shores where she met her dear friend and companion, Widgery Thomas. They had many laughs together enjoying dinners, attending local events and visiting family members. As Victoria’s health deteriorated, she needed the love and care of the attentive and empathetic staff at Holbrook until her death.

In addition to her husband and parents, Victoria was predeceased by her three siblings, Bert Zamarchi, Theresa Auger, and Augustine Zamarchi; and daughter-in-law, Kris King.

Memories of her love, kindness and generosity will be cherished by her daughter, Elizabeth “Betty” Cimino (Santo) of Cumberland Foreside, her son, R. Daniel King, of Tyler, Texas; two grandchildren, Elizabeth Pierce (Jeffery) of Cumberland, and David Cimino (Kristin) of Cumberland Foreside; and five great-grandchildren, Nicholas Cimino, Chloe Pierce, Luca Cimino, Lily Pierce and Holden Pierce; and her brother, Daniel Zamarchi (Theresa), of Portsmouth, N.H.

At the request of Victoria, there will be no funeral services and her ashes will be buried next to her husband in the Spring at Riverside Cemetery, Cape Elizabeth.

Memorial donations can be sent to

Scarborough Fire & Rescue,

275 U.S. Route 1,

Scarborough, ME 04074

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