Arklay King

Arklay Ford King, 78, of Dedham, MA left us the night of Dec 21st, the winter equinox, 2023, after a long battle with mental and physical degeneration. 

Born Jan 24th, 1945 in New York City to Henry Ward “Ford” King and Barbara King (née Higginson), Arklay prided himself on his ability to fix anything. A tinkerer and maker of delightful things, he saw the charm and whimsy in discarded objects others ignored. The trees surrounding his homes were festooned with mobiles made from rusty metal objects, beautifully twisted driftwood, car parts or horse tackle, often forming funny faces. His windows glowed with color from stained glass he’d made, beautiful geometric designs constructed from glass found and carefully collected over years. A lover of mystery novels, dogs, california rolls and maguro, technology and gadgets, Thai food, tools,Teddy Peanut Butter, and windchimes, Arklay followed his passions to pave his own path in life.

After growing up in Pound Ridge Connecticut, Arklay attended Harvard, graduating in the class of 67. Later he studied at Episcopal Divinity School where he first became fascinated with the power of audio and video. He graduated with his MDiv, but no longer believed his path lay in organized religion. In the course of his life, he worked in various fields– repairing Volkswagens from a mobile shop, among others– before landing on the vocation that would sustain him: sound. 

He founded his own audio studio: Silver Linings, where he would create award winning soundtracks for companies such as The National Geographic, Disney, NPR and others. Arklay truly loved collaborating to make a great soundtrack, whether for slideshows, radio, or TV. He often remarked how lucky he was to love his job, so that it never felt like work. His clients couldn’t mistake his joy and dedication which meant he became the go-to sound engineer for various clients who became very good friends. His future wife, Kim Runyon, met him as a client in that studio, and they spent the rest of his life together.

Arklay and Kim built their family along with their children, Chelsea and Chyld, and a menagerie of dogs, cats, birds, and horses. Block Island was core to their lives from the start, beginning with summers and culminating in year-round residence. As age made island life too arduous, they returned to the mainland for his final years. Arklay was kind, loving, and good-hearted right up to the very end, displaying the true core of his character even as dementia took so much else. As was his wish, Arklay died at home with his family. 

He takes with him the recipe for his signature dish: “Tuna Plop” (though we believe it to be 4 cans of tuna, mixed with cream-of-mushroom soup and peas and sprinkled with potato chips and baked at 375 for 20 min.) He leaves behind his wife Kim, children Chyld and Chelsea, and brother Fred King, as well as his daughter-in-law Sabra and grandchildren Beatrix and Gwendolyn, who always felt the warmth of his love and pride. 

So, please raise a Tsingha and join us in a toast: Here's to you, Project Man. We shall miss you.

Arklay’s family service will be private, but there will be a celebration of life held in the Spring. Details will be be published as they are avaliable.