Dorothy King, Proud Passenger Of Public Transportation, 99
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PyrateJohn
Jun 13, 2008, 8:41:46 AM6/13/08
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Dorothy King, 99; Proud Passenger of Public Transportation
By Patricia Sullivan, Washington Post Staff Writer
The recent rise in gasoline prices would not have bothered Dorothy
King, 99, who died May 29 [2008] of arteriosclerosis cardiovascular
disease at De's Ideal Assisted Living in Largo.
The native Washingtonian [DC] never learned, and never needed, to
drive. She was a master of streetcars, buses and subway trains,
knowing all the routes, schedules, fares and, often, the drivers.
Her dedication to public transportation was proved one Thanksgiving
when her daughter was hospitalized at George Washington University
Hospital. A mannered lady who always wore earrings and carried a
cotton or linen handkerchief, Mrs. King managed to board the bus in
Petworth carrying what must have been an impressive package, sat, as
always, with her legs modestly crossed and embarked downtown.
"She sashayed in with this fully cooked Thanksgiving dinner," her
daughter, Joy Branham Pryde, recalled. In addition to the food, Mrs.
King brought china, silverware, table linens and a full coffeepot, to
the astonishment of her daughter and the hospital staff.
Mrs. King tried to learn to drive, but an impatient teacher, her
husband, caused her to finally give it up. She didn't have anything
against automobiles and in fact never turned down an offer of a ride,
her daughter said.
She would travel with her granddaughter at a moment's notice and was
the ideal passenger, always prompt and waiting on the sidewalk when
the driver arrived. In addition, she loved parades and rarely missed
one from 1933 to 1989, when, at 80 years old, she reluctantly decided
to watch them on television rather than in person.
Her hobby, starting in the mid-1930s, was listening to police, fire
and emergency radios and scanners. When the 1968 riots broke out, she
did not turn the scanner off for the entire week.
Mrs. King was born, raised and educated and resided in the District
[Washington DC] for the first 92 years of her life.
She graduated from Dunbar High School in 1926 and worked in the early
1930s as a maid in the exclusive Roosevelt Hotel on 16th Street NW,
cleaning 13 rooms a day for $3 per week. Ten years later, she was
hired as a maid by Lorstan Studio, a prominent photographic studio
next to Garfinckel's department store in downtown Washington. She
worked her way up to manager, a position she held for 16 years.
Mrs. King later managed and supervised the book room at Spingarn
Senior High School, and when her daughter opened a liquor store, she
became the office manager. She retired in 1980.
She loved Coca-Cola, Maryland crabs and candy and enjoyed cooking.
She
left her Washington home of 50 years at the age of 92 to move in with
family members.
Her marriage to Robert Branham ended in divorce. A son from that
marriage, Laclede Branham, died in 1927. Her second husband, Earl I.
King, died in 1979.
In addition to her daughter, survivors include two grandchildren and
four great-grandchildren.
By Patricia Sullivan, Washington Post Staff Writer
The recent rise in gasoline prices would not have bothered Dorothy
King, 99, who died May 29 [2008] of arteriosclerosis cardiovascular
disease at De's Ideal Assisted Living in Largo.
The native Washingtonian [DC] never learned, and never needed, to
drive. She was a master of streetcars, buses and subway trains,
knowing all the routes, schedules, fares and, often, the drivers.
Her dedication to public transportation was proved one Thanksgiving
when her daughter was hospitalized at George Washington University
Hospital. A mannered lady who always wore earrings and carried a
cotton or linen handkerchief, Mrs. King managed to board the bus in
Petworth carrying what must have been an impressive package, sat, as
always, with her legs modestly crossed and embarked downtown.
"She sashayed in with this fully cooked Thanksgiving dinner," her
daughter, Joy Branham Pryde, recalled. In addition to the food, Mrs.
King brought china, silverware, table linens and a full coffeepot, to
the astonishment of her daughter and the hospital staff.
Mrs. King tried to learn to drive, but an impatient teacher, her
husband, caused her to finally give it up. She didn't have anything
against automobiles and in fact never turned down an offer of a ride,
her daughter said.
She would travel with her granddaughter at a moment's notice and was
the ideal passenger, always prompt and waiting on the sidewalk when
the driver arrived. In addition, she loved parades and rarely missed
one from 1933 to 1989, when, at 80 years old, she reluctantly decided
to watch them on television rather than in person.
Her hobby, starting in the mid-1930s, was listening to police, fire
and emergency radios and scanners. When the 1968 riots broke out, she
did not turn the scanner off for the entire week.
Mrs. King was born, raised and educated and resided in the District
[Washington DC] for the first 92 years of her life.
She graduated from Dunbar High School in 1926 and worked in the early
1930s as a maid in the exclusive Roosevelt Hotel on 16th Street NW,
cleaning 13 rooms a day for $3 per week. Ten years later, she was
hired as a maid by Lorstan Studio, a prominent photographic studio
next to Garfinckel's department store in downtown Washington. She
worked her way up to manager, a position she held for 16 years.
Mrs. King later managed and supervised the book room at Spingarn
Senior High School, and when her daughter opened a liquor store, she
became the office manager. She retired in 1980.
She loved Coca-Cola, Maryland crabs and candy and enjoyed cooking.
She
left her Washington home of 50 years at the age of 92 to move in with
family members.
Her marriage to Robert Branham ended in divorce. A son from that
marriage, Laclede Branham, died in 1927. Her second husband, Earl I.
King, died in 1979.
In addition to her daughter, survivors include two grandchildren and
four great-grandchildren.
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