Bruce Wayne King, 67, of De Soto died Aug. 19, 2018. He was born Feb. 14, 1951, in St. Louis, the son of the late Gerald and Virginia (Meier) King, and grew up in the Dogtown neighborhood, attending Southwest High School, then spent time in Germany with the military as an artillery surveyor. Mr. King retired from American Can Co. in St. Louis, then worked in the fireworks manufacturing business for 10 additional years before retiring for good two years ago. He loved gardening and working around his home and was a big fan of Black Sabbath and the St. Louis Cardinals. He and his wife traveled extensively in the Caribbean on scuba diving trips.
He is survived by his wife of 23 years: April Marie (Riegert) King; two sons: Nicholas and Nathan King; two stepchildren: Jeremiah and Travis Essmyer; four siblings: Jeffrey, Terry, Karen (Bufalo) and Robin (McKenna); three grandchildren: Braden, Kendall and Lorelei; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by a brother, David, who died in Vietnam; and his beloved pets: Baby Girl and Sophie.
Mr. King chose to be cremated. A memorial gathering is scheduled for 2 p.m. Friday, Aug. 24, at Mahn Funeral Home, 900 N. Main, in De Soto, followed by a remembrance and celebration dinner from 5 p.m. until dark at Spross Park in De Soto. Arrangements are under the direction of Mahn Funeral Home.