Jeffery Lynn King 1945-2025
In the historic farmhouse in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania that he restored with the love of his life, Cindy, Jeffery Lynn King, age 80, died peacefully in his sleep on August 1, 2025, after a long and heroically fought battle against cancer and heart disease. Jeff was often described as “larger than life” by family, friends, and colleagues who crossed his orbit. He was a brilliant businessman, consummate host, committed philanthropist, and avid fisherman who was devoted to the Phillies, “Iggles,” and the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Along with Cindy, Jeff leaves behind daughter Karilyn King of Malvern, PA; daughter Julie Borrelli and son-in-law Jason Borrelli of Malvern, PA; daughter Kelley Heyworth and son-in-law Ben Heyworth of Needham, MA; and grandchildren Drew Borrelli, Sophie Borrelli, Charlie Heyworth, Matthew Heyworth, and Thomas Heyworth.
Jeff grew up in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and attended Manheim Township High School. He played baseball for a year at Penn State and married Cindy in 1965. Upon graduating in 1966, Jeff worked as a salesman for the Armstrong Cork Company and co-founded National Properties, Inc. in 1971. Alongside his brother Steve, who ran the construction side of the business, Jeff managed and developed 22 multifamily living complexes across Southeastern Pennsylvania before retiring in 2007. Jeff also served as president of the school parents’ association and board member of the Jenkins Arboretum in Devon, Pennsylvania, coached little league softball, and with Steve, built a bayside cottage in Delaware. Later, loved ones would gather in homes in Avalon, New Jersey and Boca Grande, Florida, where Jeff enjoyed fishing for grouper and tarpon and sharing dinner and John Daly cocktails with friends at the Boca Grande Club.
Generous to his core, Jeff helped friends and loved ones chase their own entrepreneurial passions over the years, from rock bands to comedy clubs. In 1999, he established the King Family Foundation to fund causes that serve the unique needs of individuals facing social, emotional, or physical challenges. The foundation’s gifts to Penn State included support of anti-bullying research and initiatives, along with early career professorships and library preservation. In recent years, Jeff and the King Family Foundation focused its philanthropy on medical research. He fought to bring more awareness to Lynch syndrome, the hereditary cancer syndrome that affected Jeff as well as several family members, and founded the King Center for Lynch Syndrome at the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania.
Jeff’s loved ones will spend the rest of their lives swapping memories of him as a visionary business leader, loyal and generous friend, and adoring husband, father, and grandfather. He was a King in every sense of the word. Contributions in Jeff’s memory can be made to the King Center for Lynch Syndrome at the University of Pennsylvania’s Abramson Cancer Center. Make a secure gift online or make checks payable to “Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania” and mailed to Penn Medicine Development, Attn: Kathleen Hertkorn, 3535 Market St., Ste. 750, Philadelphia, PA, 19104.
Jeffery King
April 4, 1945 – August 1, 2025
