Opal Rosetta Lane King

Opal Rosetta Lane King, 88, passed away Wednesday, June 25, 2025 surrounded by her loving family.
Opal was born and raised in rural Jacksonville, NC.  She grew up at the end of a dirt road where the family home and farm was.  She and her brothers and sisters grew up in that farming community and attended the local church with Mama and Daddy on Dawson Cabin Road.  They were raised with a strong work ethic and family bond.
She later raised her seven children whom she lovingly worked hard to provide for their needs.  She had a 20 plus year career with the NC Forest Service as a firetower operator and climbed an almost 125 foot tall firetower seven days a week to look for smoke and forest fires in the forest of Holly Ridge, Dixon and Verona.
She would also work part time at nights with Roses Department Store.  Later in life she worked at Bob Grays Service Station in Richlands.
In her retirement years, she moved to Faison in Duplin County where she tended lovingly her flower gardens and vegetable gardens.  And always loved visits from her family.  She loved to get to see her grandchildren and greats and was very proud of all of them.  She was especially very proud of her seven children and how they turned out and that non of them were ever in trouble, and had good careers and jobs.
At her house on holidays every family member was expected to come and usually all did and she loved every minute, even though she had spent the night and the day before cooking and preparing tons of food.  And always at christmas her required Red Velvet Cake and pies and cakes of every variety.  She wanted everyone to have their favorites.
When  she later in life entered an assisted living facility she missed her independence  and flower tending.  Then covid happened not long after, and she could not be close to her family inside and that was hard.  But family came and stood outside her raised window and visited with her there.  After a heart attack she entered Woodbury Nursing Home in Hampstead.  She had some wonderful CNA's and RN' s that looked out for her and the family is forever grateful for them.  When her health took a turn for the worse, she died peacefully with her family by her side.
A graveside service will be held at 2:00 pm Sunday,  June 29, 2025 at the Faison Cemetery in Faison, NC.
Opal is survived by her six children and their spouses, Debbie Dail of Jacksonville, Betty Lowery and Frinchie "Pete"  of Jacksonville, Kim Pardue and Currie Butler of Garner, Sheila Brock and Danny of Faison, Danny Hatfield and Vickie of Warsaw, Cheryl Hatfield Sanchez and ​Eric Sinclair of Michigan 14 Grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, and 2 great great grandhildren; one younger brother, Melvin King of Jacksonville and one younger sister, Janice King Holtsford of Swansboro.
Her parents, Ernest C. King, Sr. and Mary Rosetta Silance King preceded her in death, and her son Billy Ray Hatfield, Jr., grandson, Christopher Hatfield and granddaughter, Kelly Lowery Collins, her sister and brothers Irma King Williams, Ernest King, Jr., Herman King, Marvin King and Carlton King

---