Obituary for Isadore Julius King

Isadore Julius King passed away on Friday, January 13, 2023, at the age of 73.

Isadore J. King was born and raised in Port Huron, Michigan. Upon graduating high school, Isadore moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to enroll at the University of Michigan. Simultaneously, his parents and siblings relocated to New York City. Eventually, the "Big Apple" became his second home. While at the University of Michigan, he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration, majoring in Accounting and Strategic Planning. During his college days, he included liberal amounts of student activism, fraternal involvement (Kappa Alpha Psi), academic achievement, and fun. He left college committed to improving African Americans' economic status.

In 1974, Isadore began his professional career as an auditor with Arthur Andersen & Co. He passed the CPA exam later that year and received his license in 1975. In 1976, he became an audit manager with a local CPA firm owned by African Americans (Barrow, Coleman, Aldridge, and Co.). He left this job, realizing he could impact the African American community more by managing a business instead of working as a CPA; it was time to put his MBA to work.

In 1978, one of Isadore's former Clients (Total Healthcare, Inc.) became a licensed health maintenance organization (HMO) and offered Isadore his first of many executive positions. Over the years, Isadore has served as a board member and officer on numerous boards of directors.

Isadore is a member of two fraternities, Sigma Pi Phi (the Boule) and Kappa Alpha Psi. He was initiated into Kappa Alpha Psi on April 10, 1970, at Sigma Chapter, University of Michigan. He is a lifetime member and was active in the Ann Arbor Ypsilanti Inkster Alumni Chapter, where he served as Polemarch and Vice Polemarch. He was instrumental in creating the chapters Kappa Foundation – a youth scholarship foundation.

Isadore is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Linda; his three daughters, Adelia, Khalila (Jonathan Richardson), and Shayla (Marcus Moore); his three granddaughters, Zori and Nova Richardson and Amaya Moore; and two brothers, Carl and Duane King. Many cousins, friends, and extended family also survive him. Two siblings (Raymond King and Cynthia Byrnes) preceded Isadore in death.\

Instead of flowers, please visit the Kappa Foundation website and donate to the Isadore J. King Scholarship Endowment.