Carl Joseph King

Carl Joseph King, 80, passed away at his home surrounded by family in Shreveport, Louisiana on Saturday, December 21, 2024. The family will host a visitation at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 1815 Marshall St., Shreveport, Louisiana from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Friday, December 27, 2024. A memorial mass will be held on Saturday, December 28, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 204 Patton Ave, Shreveport, Louisiana. Burial will follow at St. Joseph Cemetery in Shreveport, Louisiana. Officiating the service will be Father Karl Daigle. 

Carl was born in Marthaville, Louisiana on October 16, 1944 to Cass Lafayette King and Beulah Berry King, the youngest boy of nine children. Raised from humble beginnings, Carl valued hard work and generosity and was always guided in his life by a steadfast faith in God.

Carl met his wife of forty-seven years, Carol Hall King, while both working at Texas Eastern. They enjoyed spending weekends on the lake water skiing and going on the town, especially in their earlier years. Together, they raised two children, Cassidy Joseph King and Concetta King Chevallier.

Above all, Carl’s pride was his children. His love for them was constant and fierce. Despite the demands placed on him by his business, he put them first in everything he did, and rarely missed a game, performance, or milestone. After they left home, his devotion to them never wavered. He loved his children’s spouses, Avery Streibel King and Joshua Steven Chevallier, and treated them as his own. Carl was “Daddo” to two grandchildren, Cecilia Carol Chevallier and Rosie Joyce King. Spending time with them brought him great joy in his final years.

Carl was a successful businessman and entrepreneur who owned and managed several small businesses in the Shreveport-Bossier area, and was an active member of the Jaycees. He served his customers personally for decades behind the counters of his stores. Even after he no longer worked on the retail side of his businesses, Carl never truly retired. He was always in pursuit of his next venture and often told his children that he never decided what he wanted to do when he grew up. This was Carl’s way of encouraging his children to pursue their own passions.

Carl’s greatest pleasure was spending time at his small farm south of Shreveport. There, he hosted Thanksgiving dinners where turkeys and briskets were measured by the dozen, and everyone was welcome. Among the guests were his many nieces and nephews, to whom he was affectionately known as “Uncle Joey.” When he was not working countless hours at the farm or at his businesses, Carl could be found hunting or fishing.

Carl’s generosity was enormous, and his favorite way to serve and give to his family, friends, and strangers was through food. Carl fed a generation of Loyola College Prep students, and the image of “Mr. King” at the grill is indelible to everyone who knew him. In appreciation of his years of service to the school and its students, Carl was inducted into the Loyola Hall of Honor in 2019. He also gave to his country, serving honorably in the United States Air Force Reserves.

In addition to his wife, children and grandchildren, Carl is survived by his brother, Jerry King and his sisters, Shirley King Brown, Patsy King Atkins, and Barbara King Wallace, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Carl was preceded in death by his parents, Cass Lafayette King and Beulah Berry King; his sisters, Doris King Hight and Virginia King Freeman; and his brother, James (Sonny) King.

Honoring Carl as pallbearers are Corey Brown, Grant Cassidy, Joshua Chevallier, Greg Ebarb, Lee Fatheree, Ashur Hall, Harrison Hall, and Joseph Modica. Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Chris Brown, Raymond Causey, Ray Charles Eason, Henry Felan, Michael King, Dickie Martin, Jim Rodgers, Roger Shows, and John Cass Wallace.