Hagan King, 85, of State College died peacefully on Sunday, July 17, at Juniper Village at Brookline, surrounded by family and friends. He was born February 4, 1932 in Cullman County, Alabama, to the late Clyde and Thelma Oden King. On June 15, 1952 he married the former Montez Hendrix who preceded him in death.

Also surviving are daughters Karen, and her husband Paul Freeman of Frederick, MD and Kimberly King of Winston-Salem, NC. In addition he is survived by grandsons Adam and Keaton Freeman, granddaughters Nicole MacPherson and Alysha Baier, sister Freda White and many loving nephews, nieces, cousins, extended family and dear friends.

In addition to Montez, he was preceded in death by his brother Clete and his parents, Clyde and Thelma.

Hagan graduated from The University of Alabama with a teaching degree and taught mechanical drawing at Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery, Alabama during the early part of his career. While in college he was introduced to theatre, and because of that experience and in order to escape the Alabama heat each summer, Hagan took the family to the mountains of North Carolina where they worked in the outdoor drama Horn in the West. It was during that time when Hagan and Montez discovered their professional calling for the theatre and would make many life-long friends.

In 1967, Hagan moved the family to State College where he earned his MFA in Theatre at Penn State University. After receiving his degree, he was employed by Penn State in numerous theatrical production positions, all contributing to the backstage management of hundreds, if not thousands of theatrical, musical and educational performances. After retirement, Hagan returned to his love of woodworking, once again creating furniture, masks and beautiful sculptures.

Weather permitting, Hagan walked from home to his job at Eisenhower Auditorium every day for many years, his long stride recognizable from afar. Lovable and thoughtful, Hagan was the epitome of a true southern gentleman, a man of few words but when he spoke, people listened. He was proud of his family and home, and always the teacher. Witty and clever, he was a bit of a prankster, he could fix anything, and identified the time period of any event by the car he was driving at that time. Although he loved Montez's gourmet cooking, he especially appreciated a large plate of cornbread and butter beans, followed by cherry ice cream. When not focused on work or family, Hagan and Montez would often travel to Emerald Isle, NC where they shared a beach cottage with dear friends.

A memorial service is planned for Saturday, July 29 at 1 PM at the State College Presbyterian Church on West Beaver Avenue. After the memorial service, all are invited to attend an open sharing and celebration of Hagan's life at the Windsong Dining Room at Juniper Village, 1930 Cliffside Drive. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests that memorial contributions in honor of Hagan be made to Family Hospice of Home Nursing Agency, 450 Windmere Drive, State College, PA 16801 or to the Pittsburgh Institute for Neurodegenerative Diseases (PIND), Attention Justin Meyer, PMHSF, 3600 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213.