Alan D. King

Alan D. King was born on September 26, 1961, to the late William and Maude King of King and Queen County, VA. For most of his childhood, Alan lived in the small, rural town of Pisgah in Charles County, MD, where he was the third of four sons. Alan had an active, happy childhood and early in life showed exceptional musical talent and aptitude, mastering the trumpet, trombone, saxophone, and guitar. Alan went on to graduate from Lackey High School where he excelled in the concert and marching bands, track and field, and was a popular, well-liked student.

He then attended Morgan State University, from which he graduated summa cum laude with an undergraduate degree in Psychology of Learning, and a minor in French. He was a member of the Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology. Years later, he often reflected on his time at Morgan and the especially positive impact that one special, caring professor had on the trajectory of his life.

During college, Alan’s musical pursuits landed him in a successful band that played in many local venues, including as an opening act at the Kings Dominion amusement park. Music remained a constant source of pleasure throughout his life, although after college he turned much of his energy toward development of his career in the information technology field.

Alan entered the IT field with a fierce determination to learn more and accomplish much. His unique talent, work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit led him to develop his own technology company, King Consulting Incorporated, which he operated as President and Senior Consultant from the early 1990’s until his death. Over the past several decades, he worked with a variety of federal government agencies, most recently the Department of Homeland Security.

Alan was an influential leader and became a leading expert in the field of digital accessibility. He had a longstanding passion for making technology products and services accessible to people who have disabilities and won awards and accolades for his work. Alan was a major contributor to the ground-breaking Federal Trusted Tester Process for validating technology for compliance with accessibility standards.

Alan was a humble but gifted leader, an engaged listener, a rare communicator who could make complex topics easy to understand, a resourceful collaborator, and a talented trainer who inspired others and encouraged them to give their talents and energy to supporting the disability community.

In 1995, Alan married Vanessa Chandler. It was a joyous, cherished union that blessed them with two sons, Austin and Jared, whom he treasured. While Alan was a loving and devoted husband and father, he also gave generously of his time and talents to offer support and encouragement to his parents, siblings, nieces and nephews, cousins, and many others. He was always willing to lend a helping hand and words of inspiration. His advice was sound, and his intentions were pure. His kind and compassionate spirit endeared him to many.

Alan enjoyed listening to music and playing the guitar, traveling and exploring, spending time with family, and could be counted on for his charming quick wit and playful sense of humor. He was a wonderful communicator and loved to help family and friends solve problems and challenges. Every room was a bit brighter when he was in it.

In recent years, Alan fought valiantly against serious illness, relying on prayer and fortitude, as well as family support and encouragement.

Alan leaves to cherish his memory, his wife of 27 years, Vanessa King; two sons, Austin and Jared; three brothers, William Derrick King (Jasmine), Grayland "Chris" King (Doris), and James "Jimmy" King (Ronda); aunts Clara Williams (Spencer) and Lenora Dabney; a special cousin, Shelly Johnson; nephews Grayland Jr. (Briana), James Jr. (Jennifer), Trent King Sr., Christopher Hart, Vander King, and Trent King, Jr.; nieces Tiffany King Peoples (Dupre) and Naudia Simms (Marcella); and a host of loving cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William "Billy" King and Maude King.