I moved to Indian Field in January of 1963. (to Delaware in August of 1962 from northern NJ.) During the summer/fall of 1963 and into early 1964, I became involved in a local zoning petition (Darley Woods).  I was immediately contacted by Everett Wilson  and Charlie King from CCOBH, who enlisted me in the effort to keep Brandywine Hundred the "Garden of Eden" we wanted to raise our families in.  Charlie worked for DuPont, as did my husband, both research chemists in Textile Fibers.  Marston Fox, Charlie King, and others sought out, counseled, trained, and enlisted many of us who had come from congested Northeast communities to work and live in Delaware, (Richard Sincock, Clarise Heckert, V.Eugene McCoy, Allen Sassaman, Richard Pollock and others.). Charlie's well thought-out game plan and scientific process was to put in place the people who would help preserve open spaces( Willie DuPont's Estate) and encourage local politicians (most of whom originally were natives) to listen to those of us who believed that growth and development should be planned and done right the first time (land use), that projects should be financially viable, and that decision makers should be urged to preserve the beauty and richness of Delaware.

CCOBH was the mechanism that coordinated the best of the newcomers' passion, intellect, and project skills.  Under Charlie's guidance we helped plan roads (I-95), parks, schools ( a development a month, a school a year), shopping, and public facilities.  Today Brandywine Hundred's 32 square miles is home to over 80,000 people, and Charlie's fingerprints are all over it.  At one point we considered incorporating Brandywine Hundred when political forces seemed to be swinging away from "good government" in Delaware.  In the late 60's CCOBH, with Charlie's active participation, supported successful legislation that replaced the old Levy Court system in New Castle County with a Council/County Executive system.  We also helped elect Governor Peterson (another DuPont research chemist), who replaced  the state's 153 boards, agencies, and commissions with ten more efficiently organized cabinet departments. Charlie was the prime mover, intellect, organizer, and participant in the many changes that took place during those years.

Charlie was also a Boy Scout in both body and spirit, as many of us are, and encouraged us all to be trustworthy, honest, loyal, and engaged in giving to our community. His son lived in our community and carried on his father's tradition as our civic association treasurer.  He often talked at length about his father's (Charlie, Sr.) commitment to Brandywine hundred, his pursuit of excellence, his energy, good humor, selfless activity and  generosity on behalf of his family and community.

Charles Orrin King attended CCOBH's 50th Anniversary event and saw first hand that his legacy lives on.  Until the very end he maintained his interest in our community and spoke with pride about the long struggle he carried on and the people who worked with him.  Charlie truly loved Brandywine Hundred and the people who live here.  He leaves large shoes to fill.  

We salute the Memory of Charles Orrin King as a Great Delawarean, one for the history books.

Frances M. West
Past President, CCOBH



Charles Orrin King, age 94, affectionately known as “Mayor of Bellevue Manor” in northern Wilmington, DE died January 17, 2010 after a long struggle recovering from a stroke. He was the son of deceased Charles William and Julia Baist King of Rochester, New York, where he was born January 9, 1916.

First in his high school class, Charlie’s graduation was only possible with a financial scholarship from FDR during the depression. He obtained scholarships to complete his BS from University of Rochester and MS and Doctorate (ScD) in chemical engineering from University of Michigan, earning scholastic tributes: ΦBK, ΦKΦ and scientific honoraries Alpha Chi Sigma, Phi Lambda Upsilon, Iota Alpha and Sigma Xi, a research society. He was a lifelong member of the social fraternity Theta Chi. He married Mary Louise (Stout) King and came to Delaware in 1943 to work for DuPont in the Textile Fibers Department, assisting in the development of Nylon and Orlon, which was jokingly used as his middle name. He spent most of his time in Wilmington but was transferred to Chattanooga TN 1948-52 and Martinsville VA 1961-2. His family tested garments made of nylon under his supervision, and the children recall wearing nylon stockings and running through hedges for their final test! At retirement in 1982, he was a member of the Corporate Patent Board, International Division, Textile Fibers and was assistant to the Technical Director.He remained a lifelong member of the American Chemical Society, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, American Association for Advancement of Science and Theta Chi.

He was active in regional civic associations since 1952, trying to improve community liaison. He was a co-founding president of CCOBH Council of Civic Organizations of Brandywine Hundred (1957-1968) and worked with Marston Fox and others to preserve the Fox Point area, develop a park from the William DuPont Estate now Bellevue, convert Brandywine Raceway to a mall, plan the Talley Day Parks and Library, plan the Blue Ball Barn and roadway project on Route 202, coordinate the management of gypsy moths in the area, etc. He was a co-founder of the Civic League for New Castle County in the 60s. He was president and treasurer of the Bellevue Manor Maintenance Corp for over 40 years. His engineering mind was put to use, and his detailed notes about northern New Castle County suburban development are now in the DE history archives. He was a community board member of DELDOT, working with zoning to create safety in local road planning.

Interested in politics, he supported friend and fellow duPonter, Governor Russell Peterson. He was proud of his collection of presidential autographs and as a stamp collector, enjoyed combining his interest in autographs by pairing them with the stamp of famous US personalities: Presidents Coolidge, Hoover, Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan; artist Maxfield Parrish, musician John Philip Sousa, humanitarian Helen Keller, and humorist Will Rogers. He was a member of Brandywine Valley Stamp Club since 1943.

He was active in the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant since 1952, serving as elder and trustee. He was an Explorer Post committee chairman, Boy Scouts of America. A lifelong gardener, he supplied flowers for church activities and developed the church’s Memory Garden.He loved repairing or adapting things for home, family, church and neighbors. Travel was another of his loves, seeing much of the US, Hawaii, Europe, China, Africa, and was seen recently in full Safari attire for a nursing home theme party. He was an active, resourceful, humorous man with one-liners that were on the tip of his tongue. Recently, when confronted with a very high doctor’s exam table, he said, “If it is a bed, I am sure I can get on it.”

He was predeceased by his wife, Mary Louise Stout King (1986), his son, Charles Walter King (1998) and friend Betty Boggs Peddrick (2007). He is survived by his daughters, Marilyn Marnie King of Wilmington and Marjorie King Saiter (Paul) of Chesterfield MO, and his daughter-in-law, Jan Laubach King of Wilmington, his granddaughters Jessica Saiter Clark (Jason), and Tracy Saiter Pagel, from the St. Louis MO area. His great grandson, Noah Clark, (both called each other “GG”), was the delight of his last years with whom he crawled onto the floor to play at 93. Lately he learned that a granddaughter is pregnant with twins and she told him that if one is a boy, she would name him “Charlie” after him. When we learned that both twins would be boys, Charlie said, “Two Charlies!”

The family wishes to thank the staff at both Foulk Manor North and South where he resided the past 5 years and Odyssey Hospice for their kindness and understanding of his fierce independent desires.

Funeral services will be held at 11 am on Saturday January 23, 2010 at the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant, 503 Duncan Road, Wilmington DE 19809 with visitation to follow the service.Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, contributions are requested to go to the Presbyterian Church of the Covenant.