‘She was a warrior’: Knott County officials remember Superintendent Kim King

KNOTT COUNTY, Ky. (WYMT) - The name Kim King is well-known in Knott County. She was a beloved superintendent for many years, but on Saturday she died.

“Her daughter called me yesterday morning to let me know that she’d passed away and it was something that we knew was coming but just, you just can’t prepare for it,” Knott County Central Principal Bobby Pollard said.

King’s peers described her as a loving person with a big heart.

“It was a shock to me, she is such a warrior,” Tim Crawford said. “Kim is just, she’s one of those truly wonderful, good-hearted, not a bad bone in her body human beings.”

After enduring a long battle with breast cancer, King was cancer-free for 12 years. Her cancer returned in 2015, forcing her to drive to Lexington weekly for treatment.

“She loved her schools and she loved her kids,” Pollard said. “And I think that’s why she fought so hard because she really loved what she did.”

Both Pollard and Crawford said that King had a personality that could light up any room.

“Her nature and her personality made people feel secure and comfortable,” Crawford said. “And no matter what decision she made in the school system, she always asked herself how will this help these children?”

While King may be gone, Pollard is a firm believer in the legacy she is leaving.

“If you met her, she made an impression on you,” Pollard said. “She was a great leader and. but she was also a great friend.”

King’s funeral arrangements were announced Saturday afternoon.

Her obituary said her family will receive friends on Monday, May 24, 2021, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with a special service at 7:00 p.m. Monday at the Morton Combs Athletic Complex.

Funeral services will be on Tuesday, May 25, 2021, at 11:00 a.m. at the Morton Combs Athletic Complex in Hindman.

Knott County School officials said there will be no school until Thursday, May 27. They added all schools will be closed.

Original Story:

Knott County Schools officials confirmed to WYMT that school Superintendent Kim King, 56, died Saturday morning.

King was a breast cancer survivor for 12 years, she told WYMT in a 2019 interview.

In a June 2020 interview, she told WYMT her cancer returned in 2015. She said she would drive to Lexington for chemotherapy appointments.

WYMT reached out to Knott County Schools and received the following statement:

“Knott County Schools has lost a great woman and a great leader. Join us in mourning the passing of our beloved Superintendent Kimberly King. She did a tremendous job leading our school system. She was an inspiration to all. Mrs. King will be greatly missed. Please keep her family, friends, and our school system in your thoughts and prayers in the difficult days to come.”

You can watch our latest story with King below:

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