Janie Ruth King

Janie Ruth King, age 79, transitioned from her earthly life to her heavenly home on Tuesday, July 16, 2024. She was born on May 18, 1945 and was the third child of the late Bishop Audley S. King and Mother Ola D. King. 

Janie accepted Christ as a teenager through her father's ministry at Union Ridge Church of God in Christ (now King Chapel Church of God in Christ) in Union Ridge, TN, where she remained a lifelong member and ardent supporter, as well as Bright Temple Church of God in Christ in Shelbyville, TN. In 1980, as a young adult, Janie joined Born Again Church in Nashville, TN, under the pastorate of Elder (now Bishop) Horace E. Hockett. Joining just two years after its founding, Janie diligently served Born Again for almost 45 years in various capacities, including as a Trustee, Titus II Woman, Board Member of Born Again Christian Academy, Coordinator of the New Members Ministry, and Chairperson of the Church Directory, as well as through the Evangelism, Angel Food, and One Harvest Food Ministries.

Janie was educated in the segregated Bedford County Schools, where, from grades 1st through 5th she attended a one-room schoolhouse taught by her mother. During the era of Consolidation, Janie attended East Bedford School and Bedford County Training School, which was renamed Harris High School in 1962 after their principal, the late Professor Sidney Harris. In 1963, she graduated as the Valedictorian of the inaugural class of Harris High School.

 Janie pursued higher education at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, LA, where she joined Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. through the Alpha Tau Chapter in the Spring of 1965 and earned a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education in May 1967. She then attended Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta University) in Atlanta, GA, obtaining a Master of Science in Library Service in May 1968, and pursued additional studies at the University of Tennessee – Nashville.

For over 50 years, Janie impacted thousands of students as a librarian at both secondary and collegiate levels across the Nashville area. She began her career in the late sixties with the Metropolitan Nashville Public School System, working for over 35 years, most notably at Glencliff High School, and was an active member of the Tennessee Association of School Librarians (TASL). After initially retiring in 2004, Janie spent another 15 years at the Jean and Alexander Heard Library System at Vanderbilt University, finally retiring in 2020. 

Beyond her professional and ecclesiastical commitments, Janie was an avid traveler, exploring destinations across The Americas, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. She also enjoyed attending Tennessee Titans games with her sisters as a season ticket holder, laughing with her family and friends, and especially, doting on her nieces and nephews. 

In addition to her parents, Janie is preceded in death by her sisters, Minnie King Saunders, Lizzie J. Reynolds, and Rubye A. King, as well as her niece, Lori Groves-White. Many loving memories will be cherished by her sister, Arena King Groves of Nashville, TN; nephew, David W. Saunders, Jr. of Nashville, TN; great-nephew, Daniel Q. White of New York, NY; great-niece, Maya A. White of Washington D.C.; and a host of other relatives and friends, whose lives are richer because she lived.