R. Lynn King

On the evening of September 12th, an incredibly loved man set forth on his final and greatest of all adventures. At his bedside during this time of great transition was his adoring wife of thirty years. She was and will remain his one and only true soul mate, his dearest and most cherished “best friend” and his forever and greatest of eternal loves. As a devoted husband and loving father, Lynn so greatly treasured his large family that to him the designation of “step” or “in law” was unacceptable and it was neither in his heart nor in his words. Instead, each incredible and unique spirit was simply loved as his own wonderful child and on this most sacred of nights he was blessed by the loving presence of each and every one. His amazing and greatly loved children, although now grown, have been his greatest source of never ending pride, valued friendship, constant joy and deep abiding love and in his forever loving heart he truly felt that they each enriched his life beyond description. It was in fact those same cherished children that lovingly provided Lynn with the incredible gifts that would ultimately become his greatest source of inspiration and the gifts that would allow him to transcend into an even greater form of himself. Those most treasured of all gifts, so wonderfully shared by his children were the twelve beloved grandchildren that he absolutely adored. Because of them he loved a bit deeper, he played a bit more and he fully realized that his own great love was truly and forever unconditional. As the “Papa” of this often boisterous group, he felt it was his duty and his calling to teach and to mentor and in his own loving way he constantly shared the strong values and moral compass by which he had lived his own amazing life. He fully accepted his own past mistakes and vowed that his grandchildren would see only the incredible loving man that could truly lead his own beloved family. With them he longed to share and teach his greatest passions; his extreme love of nature, the pure joy of casting a fly to a rising fish, the unique skills required to stalk the mighty beasts of the forest and the excitement and competitive spirit that he found in sports. It was his constant hope that his grandchildren would always feel the great love that he had for them and that they would also learn and remember what he felt was truly the most important part of any life. And as a husband, father and grandfather that most important part and most blessed of all gifts, was love. On this special evening of journey, it was clearly evident in the tender hearts of the cherished “babies” that “Papa” had indeed accomplished his goal. This beautiful gathering of family was our final gift to the man that we all so deeply love and it was a heartfelt time of laughter and tears. Stories were told and loving memories were shared. Incredible love was reaffirmed and sacred promises were made. And finally in the presence of Loving and Guiding Angels, tearful permissions were given. Just as the light of the day began to fade, our dear beloved man gave us his often used impish and playful wink and followed it with his joyous and forever loving smile. And then as peacefully and quietly as a Mayfly arising from a pristine mountain lake, he began his wonderful journey. Those of us that remain behind will forever miss his physical presence but we will hear his voice in the gentle breeze as it whispers through the trees and again in the majestic cry of the wolf as he watches over and guides his beloved and loyal pack. We will see his smile on the wings of the delicate humming birds as they feed and on each and every flower that blooms in the spring. We will feel his abundant joy as we witness the winning touchdown of his favorite team or hear the hum of a fly reel with a glorious catch on the line or perhaps even more so, when we simply gaze into the soulful eyes of his faithful and greatly cherished Border Colllies. His great strength will be seen in the soaring of eagles and felt in the pounding surf as the powerful sea rushes to the shore. And as the sun rises on each new day we will be engulfed and warmed by his ever present love and as the night begins to fall, the light of the moon will be our assurance that we are once again safely wrapped in his loving arms. As his family, we know the great impact that he had on each of our lives. We also know that during his time on this earth, he wonderfully touched many other lives with his caring compassion, loyal friendship and loving heart. It is at this time, we the family that loves him so, extend a heartfelt invitation to join us as we celebrate the life of our beloved Husband, Father and Papa. This joyous and greatly deserved celebration will be held on Sunday October the 13th from 2 to 5 pm. at the Sockeye Brewery Packing Warehouse 12550 Fairview Avenue in Boise Idaho. Whether co-worker, neighbor or friend, fishing buddy or care giver, please join us to share in loving memories and to pay tribute to the incredible man that was like no other; a God given spirit that will never be forgotten. May God Bless each special life that he touched and we his loving family, extend our deepest thanks and heartfelt appreciation for the great love, the gentle compassion and the caring support that we each were given during this most difficult of times.