Constancio King, MD

Constancio Y. King, MD, FACS, FICS, FACA, Surgeon and Civic leader. Died at age 85 on October 31, 2019.

The family requests your attendance at either; or both gatherings. Rosary will be held at 7:00 p.m., Friday, November 15, 2019 at St. Thomas Catholic Church Adoration Chapel with a reception to follow in the Church Hall. Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, November 16, 2019 at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Burial will follow at King Family lots at Memory Gardens Cemetery. Arrangements are by Schooler Funeral Home.

Dr. Constancio King was born in Pinamalayan, Philippines on September 1, 1934 to Alfonso M. King, a Chinese-Filipino businessman and Consorcia Yuzon, a Spanish-Filipino retired teacher. He received his Medical Degree from The University of Santo Tomas in Manila. After graduation from Medical School in 1959, he joined the Surgical Residency Program and Faculty of the University. During his Chief Residency in Surgery, he won the First Prize Award for the best Scientific Paper, and second Prize Award from the Philippines College of Surgeons.

He married Dr. Rosalinda de la Rosa, a Dentist on March 17, 1962 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Manila and after a few years migrated to New York by way of Italy, France and Netherlands. In New York, he had his General and Vascular Surgery training at Columbus Health Care Center and became the Chief Resident.  He also had his Vascular Surgery training at the New York University Medical Center in Manhattan, New York. He was in Private Practice in Manhattan, New York City before joining the VAMC Staff of West Los Angeles, Wadsworth VA Medical Center.

In 1972, Dr. King was recruited by the Amarillo VA Medical Center Surgical Service.  He was the Chief of Surgery and Chief of Vascular Surgery at the Amarillo VA and Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery at Texas Tech University School of Medicine.  In 1973, Dr. King started the Surgical Journal Club at the VAMC and was the Chairman of the Tumor Board for 24 years. He was on the Texas Tech Institutional Review Board and served as the Liaison Physician of the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer for 6 years.  He received 3 Directors Commendations while working at the VA, and was appointed Visiting Professor of Surgery at Santo Tomas in 1976.

Dr. King was elected President for three terms by the Board of Directors of the American Heart Association (1986; 1988 and 1992) and received many awards including the Distinguished Service Awards in 1988, which included funds given for research to Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas in his name.  During his three terms of being President of the American Heart Association Board, he was interviewed 12 times about heart diseases, stroke, cholesterol and statins and was made an Honorary Life Director of the American Heart Association. He was honored with the First Country Tux Heart Ball in 1994, held at the Amarillo Civic Center.

Dr. King was the President of the American Cancer Society and was very active in the Speakers Bureau of Tobacco Free Amarillo, Relay for Life and Great American Smoke Out, “GASO”.

Education was very important to Dr. King and he had given over 50 presentations locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. He published more than a dozen scientific papers in Medical and Surgical Journals including the Safe Technique of doing a Subclavian Venipuncture which was published in the Journal of the International College of Surgeons in 1971, and was a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and Society of Laparoendoscopic Surgeons.

Dr. King also served on the Honors Committee of the International College of Surgeons, US section for 4 years and was one of the main speakers presenting Hepatocellular Carcinoma: a Surgical Disease at the ICS, 64th annual surgical update at Dana Point Marriott, Laguna Beach, California on June 19-22, 2002. During the President JW Bush administration, he was appointed to serve on the Physicians’ Advisory Board. He was recognized for his valuable contribution and dedication to the Republican Party.

Other accomplishments include the Bishop DeFalco Retreat and Conference Center Advisory Board, Past President of the St. Joseph Catholic School Board, member of St. Joseph Parish Council, St. Joseph Catholic Children Development Center Governing Board, Eucharistic Minister and 4th Degree of the Knights of Columbus (inactive status).

Dr. Constancio King was full of love and devotion to our Lord, his family and the community he served. He has been a parishioner of St. Joseph since 1972.

He was preceded in the death by his parents and in December 2015 by his loving wife of 54 years, the late Dr. Rosalinda R. King; a sister Emiliana King Henderson and her husband, Dr. Ted Henderson.

Survivors include his children; Annabel King Hromas and husband, Dr. Frank Hromas; Dr. Raymund King, Esq., and his wife Dr. Sandra King, Grace King Anderlik and husband Jeff and five grandchildren; Lianne, Andrea, Alex, Jonah, and Emily; a brother in San Francisco; Dr. Oscar Y. King.

The family suggests memorials be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church; St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church and the American Heart Association.