Grace King

Maryellen King, 69, of Philadelphia, passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends on Wednesday December 6, 2023. Born in Connecticut, she was the daughter of the late Lewis and Eleanor (Jacen) King, and the sister of the late Richard "Dicky" King. She is survived by her niece, Allison (Ahmad) Barnes and her nephew, Todd (Dawn) King, her great nephew and niece, Bryce and Noelle Barnes and countless friends who have become family over the years.

A dedicated employee of more than 40 years, Maryellen rose to the position of VP for Chubb Insurance’s Property Claims Department before retiring in 2021. She was a diligent worker and made an excellent name for herself in her profession. She enjoyed going to work but hated the commute!

Maryellen absolutely loved Cape Cod. A family vacation spot she was introduced to as a child, she continued visiting there every year, including this past summer. She could often be found reading books by the pool and visiting the beach. Her favorite, Smugglers Beach in South Yarmouth, quickly became a family favorite, too. She delighted in conversations about where to go for dinner that night and which restaurant served the best stuffed quahog! In addition to trips to Massachusetts and some further destinations such as Budapest, Prague and Italy, Maryellen enjoyed time at the shore with some of her closest friends.

Maryellen hosted “Friendsgiving” dinners and would often kick everyone out of the house until it was time for the party to start so she could do all the preparation work her way! And she always cooked up an amazing meal for her family and friends to share that was sure to be talked about long after the night ended.

Maryellen enjoyed traveling to Massachusetts to be with family during the holiday season, ringing in the New Year with her nephew, niece and their families. Christmas was her favorite time of the year; she loved decorating for the holiday and making fudge to give out to friends and family. A more recent tradition, she enjoyed making homemade pasta on these trips and would pair it with meatballs she brought from Villa Di Roma for all to share. She was a Hallmark super-fan and watched the Bachelor regularly, often texting with friends throughout the show about what was going on. A daily game of Wordle and doing the NY Times Sunday crossword puzzle were a must for her and she would never pass up a glass (or two or three) of wine! She will be missed beyond measure.

Her family will greet relatives and friends on Saturday, January 13, 2024 from 10:30am to 12;00pm at The PENNSYLVANIA BURIAL CO., INC., 1327-29 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147.  Prayer Service begins 12:00pm.  Interment Private

In memory of Maryellen, donations may be made in support of cancer research at Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia, PA online at https://giving.jefferson.edu or by mail at: Jefferson, Office of Institutional Advancement, Department 825434, P.O. Box 71331, Philadelphia, PA 19176 - 1331. Please make all donations payable to: “Thomas Jefferson University” and note that the donation is for cancer research.