Donald Joseph King

PORTLAND – Donald Joseph King, 98, passed away peacefully on June 13, 2026 at the Cedars in Portland, where he had been cared for since 2020. He was born in Bangor, on Jan. 3, 1928, to Joseph Waldo and Mary Ahearn King.

He graduated from John Bapst High School (Valedictorian) in 1946. He graduated from the University of Maine in 1950 with a Bachelor of Arts (Journalism) with Honors. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi Honor Societies.

He was employed as a reporter for the Piscataquis Observer in Dover-Foxcroft when he was drafted into the Army in October of 1950. He served two years stateside during the Korean Conflict. Upon his honorable discharge he reentered the University of Maine under the GI bill and eventually earned a Master of Arts in History in 1961, as he says, completing his thesis with just time to spare so he would not have to repay the government for part of this GI bill grant.

While attending graduate school he worked on the state desk of the Bangor Daily News until 1957. He then joined the Portland newspapers, working on the state and news desk of the Portland Press Herald and later the copy desk of the Evening Express. He was also book review editor of the Maine Sunday Telegram for several years. When the Evening Express was closed in 1991, he took early retirement.

Following his retirement, he was a volunteer for the World Affairs Council of Maine and the Maine Historical Society. He later became active in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Southern Maine. He took numerous courses and became editor of the OLLI newsletter.

He took numerous trips overseas, particularly to the British Isles and the Republic of Ireland. He attended brief courses at Cambridge University, the University of Durham and the University of Kent at Canterbury. He also visited Paris, Berlin, Sicily and Beijing. His American tours included Washington D.C. and San Francisco, Calif.

He was a member of the Baxter Society and the Torch Club of Maine.

He is survived by a niece, Nancy DeSotto and her husband John of Epping, N.H., a nephew, Lt. Col (ret) James Harvey of Yorktown, Va. and a nephew, Thomas Harvey and his wife Lisa of Arcade, N.Y. He has several grand and great-grandnieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by a brother, Francis, a sister, M. Angela Harvey and a brother-in-law, Richard Harvey.

Donald’s family wishes to thank the staff at the Cedars as well as the staff of Compassus Hospice for their care.

At Donald’s request, there is no service. A private burial in Bangor will be held at a later date.

Please visit http://www.jonesrichandbarnes.com to view Donald’s tribute page and to sign his online guestbook.