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Search for family over after niece attends funeral of Air Force veteran with local ties

Posted at 11:40 PM, May 16, 2018
and last updated 2018-05-16 23:44:46-04

DENTON, Texas - The Air Force veteran with ties to Hampton Roads was laid to rest Wednesday, and she was finally reunited with a long-lost family member.

Margaret King (Courtesy: University of North Texas)

KTXA reports Margaret King's niece, Cherrie Robinson, attended King's funeral at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery along with veterans, police officers and King's former colleagues from the University of North Texas. She said she "never expected this many people," adding that she was "grateful."

King, 67, was found unresponsive near her car on the campus of University of North Texas, where she worked as a custodian, on September 14, 2017. She was taken to Texas Presbyterian Hospital in Denton, Texas where she was pronounced dead. Her official cause of death was listed as heart disease.

News 3's Todd Corillo first brought you this story last week when UNT was searching for King's next of kin before the burial.

King served in the Air Force from May 1971 to September 1974. She spent her time in Hampton Roads earning an associate's degree in business from Tidewater Community College and a master's degree in gerontology from Norfolk State University, along with additional professional degrees from colleges in Florida and Texas.

Robinson flew to Texas from Atlanta after she heard about her aunt's death via Facebook. She said it was hard for her family to reconnect with King after they lost contact due to her constant traveling.

“I never wanted to find her in death, but I’m glad at least I can see how much of an impact she made – and how many people cared,” she said.

Robinson said her mother, King's younger sister, will fly in from California.

Related:

Air Force veteran with ties to Hampton Roads dies alone in Texas, push is on to find her family