James “Bud” Jeffrey King’s funeral and memorial

UPDATE:

March 13, 2024

by Jerry King, Beneficiary

Dear Family, Friends, and Loved Ones…

I greatly appreciate everything that you’ve done for my brother, Bud King, and our family. We are blessed to have come to recently meet, talk with, and receive your prayerful messages and gifts of your generous donations, here through this Go Fund Me site, to support our family, friends, and community search efforts for Bud, and, unfortunately, his funeral and memorial. I am humbled by the out pouring of love that you have shown our family throughout this devastating time of heartache. Bud touched so, so, so many hearts, and I thank you all for touching mine and my family’s hearts in such a blessed way. Sincerely yours, Jerry King (Bud King’s brother)

UPDATE: Thank you…

We greatly appreciate the kindness and compassion you extended to our family during this difficult time.

Whether you sent flowers, gave a memorial, offered an act of kindness, or kept us in your thoughts, you touched our hearts. Thank you.

The Bud King Family

UPDATES;

COMMUNITY SUPER FAN FONDLY REMEMBERED…

Communities are not defined by a mayor, or a map, or a murder rate. They’re defined — created — by people.

And in Tucker, Bud King was one of those people.

King, 57, grew up less than a block from the local high school. He was nine or 10 when he started showing up at football games. And basketball games. And baseball games. Youth to high school, he was there. For decades.

“Everything was Tucker High School, morning until night,” his brother, Jerry King, told the AJC. “He had to get to every game. He never missed a game for 20-something, 25, or maybe 30 years.”

Bud King, who was autistic, disappeared last month after taking a bus to one of his favorite restaurants. Authorities found his body over the weekend and ruled his death an accident.

The community he loved is reeling. And remembering.

Said James Harty, Tucker High’s varsity basketball coach: “Anything he could do to help, he would. Anything he could do for the kids, he would.”

Said Randall Rolader, a youth sports coach: “He could remember the batting averages of every kid in the major leagues, and the youth football leagues’ teams used him as their statistician.”

Trea Hurst, another former coach and longtime friend: “Bud was just a magnetic person. He was the character of the party. Our community has stopped for about a week now. We’re in shock. We’re frozen. We’re going to miss him.”

Bud King is survived by his brother, his sister, his nephew and generations of admirers.

“We can’t understand how or why this happened to somebody who meant so much to everybody,” Hurst said.

VISITATION AND FUNERAL SERVICE: The family of JAMES “Bud” Jeffrey King will receive visitors, Sunday, March 10, 2024, from 4pm to 8pm, at Turner & Son’s Funeral Home, at 2773 N. Decatur Road, Decatur, GA 30033. The memorial service will be on Monday, March 11, 2024, at 11:30am, held at the Rehoboth Baptist Church, at 2997 Lawrenceville Hwy, Tucker, GA 30084.

UPDATE: We are heartbroken to learn today that the Dekalb medical examiner’s office has completed the autopsy of our brother James “Bud” Jeffrey King, and deemed it as an accidental death. There are no words to express our tremendous grief and sadness of this devastating news. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. We will provide an update when we know more information about the memorial service. Sincerely, The James “Bud” Jeffrey King Family

UPDATE: We are waiting for the Dekalb County medical examiner’s office to complete the autopsy on our brother, James “Bud” King. Thank you for your prayers, your support, and every kind thing you have done for our family. We will provide an update once we have more information. Sincerely, The James “Bud” King Family

UPDATE: The body of Bud King was found this afternoon. The family is on the scene with police now as they investigate the details. We will continue to update as we learn more. Thank you for the prayers and search support to finally have found him. Sincerely, The James “Bud” Jeffrey King Family

Original Post: Our family is in desperate search for our brother, James “Bud” King. He was last seen on February 24, 2024, around 10pm, at the Applebees restaurant in Tucker, Georgia. He told friends that he was heading to the bus stop and disappeared into thin air from that point. He was wearing a burgundy hoodie sweatshirt, khaki pants, black and white sneakers, and carrying a black winter jacket. Friends reported being with him earlier that night at a Tucker High School basketball game. Our family has filed a police report with the Dekalb County Police Department. We need additional help with our search for Bud and asking for any donation possible in order for a private investigation to proceed. Bud has mental disabilities, does not own or operate a vehicle, no credit cards to check for any purchases to identify any normal activity, rides Marta buses to go to Tucker each day and back to his family home in Decatur. We’ve searched in person for him by driving through the streets, alleys, looking in the woods, under bridges, stopping in on local businesses asking for any leads, and checked with the hospitals, jail, and county coroner office. Thank you for your help and for your donations!!! Respectfully, The James “Bud” King Family