William Carl “WC” King, age 74, went to be with his Lord and Savior on May 12, 2026, surrounded by his loving family and friends.
WC was born on January 22, 1952, to Kathryn Keener King and Robert William King. He was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather who deeply loved his family.
He shared 41 loving years of marriage with his wife, Hilda King. He is survived by his children: Jessica King (Josh Deese), Jonathan King (Anissa), and Brian King (Liz). WC was a proud grandfather to Micheala Devine (Charles), Wyatt Hopkins (Sarah), Madeline King, Foster King, Autumn Orr, Reagan King, and Riley King. He was also blessed with three great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved brother, Bobby.
WC dedicated much of his life to serving his community. He proudly served with the Murphy Fire Department from 1976 to 2016, holding the roles of both Chief and Assistant Chief during his years of service. He was also a lifetime member of the Wolf Creek Volunteer Fire Department. WC was the first Fire Marshal in Cherokee County and retired from this role with over 22 years of dedicated service. In addition, he served his country in the United States Army
and the National Guard.
WC and Hilda were faithful members of Bates Creek Baptist Church for over 40 years. His life was centered around his faith, his family, and his community.
He will be remembered for his love of spending time with family, attending church, taking naps in his chair, and, as he would say, “going to piddle.” His presence, wisdom, and humor will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
Visitation will be held at Townson-Rose Funeral Home on Saturday, May 16, 2026 from 3:00pm to 6:00pm. A funeral service will be held at Townson-Rose Funeral Home Chapel in Murphy on Sunday, May 17, 2026 at 2:00 pm, with graveside services to follow at Bates Creek Baptist Church. Pastor Nathan Rose and Jeff Graves will be officiating. Pallbearers will be Tyler Graves, Charlie Graves, David Reid, Danny Clayton, Josh Barton, and Cody Golden. Honorary pallbearers will be the current Murphy Fire Department members, both active and retired, members of the Wolf Creek Volunteer Fire Department, and his beloved nephew, Scott King.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Bates Creek Baptist Church Building Fund.
Townson-Rose Funeral Home is in charge of all arrangements.
You may send tributes to the family at
www.townson-rose.com
