Marianne R. King

Marianne Reaves King, died Monday, Aug. 23, 2010, at her home in Manning.

Mrs. King, a lifelong resident of Manning, was a dedicated school teacher and active church and civic leader.

She was born Feb. 20, 1927, in Monroe, Ga., the only child of Robert Hodges Reaves and Mary Nowell Reaves. She attended Stratford College in Danville, Va., for part of her high school education and graduated from the University of South Carolina in 1947 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism. She later received a master’s degree in journalism from USC. Mrs. King taught high school English in Columbia and then returned to Manning, where she taught English, Spanish and journalism to thousands of students over a 30-year career. She was the advisor to the high school newspaper, The Monarch, for many years, as well as the yearbook, “The Mahiscan.” She passionately developed the publications staffs and many of her students went on to work in journalism at the professional level.

When asked to bring the teaching of Spanish to Manning, she went to Milledgeville, Ga., and to Spain to refresh her language skills, then returned to the classroom and taught it to many students over the years. She was known for her passion, her dedication and her demanding standard of excellence. Mrs. King was chosen as a member of the Manning High School Hall of Fame, and was honored by the University of South Carolina College of Journalism as one of its 50-member Diamond Circle graduates in 1998 celebrating its 50-year anniversary.

Throughout her teaching career, Mrs. King was active as an officer and as an honoree in a number of organizations, including the South Carolina Scholastic Press Association, the Southern Interscholastic Press Association and Delta Kappa Gamma, the honorary teaching society.

Active in the Presbyterian church all of her life, Mrs. King was the first female elder at the Presbyterian Church at Manning, as well as the first female moderator of Harmony Presbytery. Active in the Women of the Church, she worked on a number of church boards and served in various capacities throughout her life. She was a delegate to the General Assembly.

Mrs. King was active in many organizations in Manning, including the Azalea Garden Club. As well as teaching school, she managed her family farm for many years and developed Reaves Farms, a residential subdivision near her family home on Old Georgetown Road.

She was a loving and devoted mother and grandmother, and she was an exceptionally caring friend. She will be remembered for her dedication, leadership and spiritual beauty, her love of her family and church and for her love and trust in God.

She is survived by her three children, Van (Jean) King of Charlotte, N.C., Marianne King (Jim) Burton of Buffalo, N.Y., and Bob King of Manning; four grandchildren, Reaves (Layne) King of Greensboro, N.C., and Troy (Andrea) King of Atlanta, Susan King of Columbia and Caroline King of Myrtle Beach; four great-grandchildren, Hodges King and Drew King of Greensboro, and Sheridan King and Kendall King of Atlanta.

The family wishes to express gratitude to a lifelong caregiver and friend, Albert Tomlin.

A service to celebrate her life and witness to the Resurrection will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Presbyterian Church at Manning with the Rev. Dr. William J. Holmes Jr. officiating.

Burial will follow at DuRant Cemetery of the New Harmony Presbyterian Church.

Memorials may be made to the Presbyterian Church at Manning, P.O. Box 207, Manning, SC 29102.

Stephens Funeral Home and Crematory of Manning was in charge of the arrangements.