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Obituaries

Obituary: Jason 'Tek' King, 33, of Shinnecock

"Jason was a mentor, a friend, a practical joker, a warrior and beneath the sometimes hard exterior was a loving man."

Editor's Note: This obituary was prepared by the survivors of Jason "Tek" King, who died in a car accident in Southampton on Saturday.

Jason King was born on July 1, 1978 to Martha and Robert King Jr. of the . He was educated in the Southampton Public School system and attended Five Towns College majoring in Music Production.

Jason grew up on Shinnecock and his days were filled with school activities, sports, playing with his friends, and yes, getting into trouble. If you saw smoke coming from one of the fields, rest assured that Jason was somewhere nearby. If your car was missing, rest assured that Jason was not nearby. Whenever something happened in the community his mom was sure to reply "Where's Jason?"

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In his later years, to say Jason "Tek" King was multitalented would be an understatement. His artistic flair and promotion of strong cultural values was evident in his Evitan (Native) Couture clothing line. He was so proud of his pow wow stand last year, making sure he was fully stocked with different styles of his T-shirts, original styled wampum jewelry, and his signature abstract native themed paintings. Some of his designs seemed haunting yet beautiful and gave subtle hints into what he was feeling at the time of the painting.

His custom Chevys were definitely a big part of his life. He was known for having his cars repainted over and over and only after his careful scrutiny did they pass muster. He was meticulous in their upkeep and made sure they were clean and ready to pass show status at any given time.

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Jason's personal growth was indicative in the formation of the Young Men of Shinnecock with Co-Director Tony Robinson. YMS was formed for the benefit of providing an outlet for the young men of Shinnecock to have educational opportunities, positive activities, and camaraderie. He was also a member of the Shinnecock Warriors Society.

Jason was elected to Tribal Council in 2010 and that was a proud day in his life. His family and friends were very proud of him and that personal growth was reflected in his Council work. He provided very detailed trip reports and was so excited when he went on conferences that he couldn't wait to report on the day to day activities.

Jason was a mentor, a friend, a practical joker, a warrior and beneath the sometimes hard exterior was a loving man. A man who would take in stray animals, a man who loved nature, a man who traditionally danced and sweat for his loved ones, a man who created his own boundaries, a man who had one of the biggest smiles, a man who liked to travel, and a man who loved the love of his life, Natahne Dennis.

Jason King passed suddenly on the morning of April 28, 2012. He was predeceased by his mother Martha J King. Jason is survived by his father Robert King, brother Randy and sister-in-law Nora, sister Apryl King, aunts Barbara Gregory, Lillian Gardner, and Christine King, uncles Robert Gregory, and Dennis King, his love of eight years Natahne Dennis, goddaughters Tationa, Kenya and Nyava, cousins Dawn Smith, Brian Evans, Wendy Gardner Arrindell, Troy Gardner, Alan and Chris Gregory his extended family “mom-in-law” Paula Collins, “aunties” Cheryle Terry, Donna and Kathy Bess. Jason is also mourned by a host of cousins, nieces and nephews, friends, big brothers, and aunties, uncles too numerous to mention. We will all see you again Jason!

The Family would like to extend their sincere gratitude to everyone for their overwhelming love and support during our trying time!

Visitation for King is Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. at in Southampton Village, with a wake at 8:30 p.m. There will be a second visitation at noon on Saturday at Shinnecock Presbyterian Church, followed by a funeral at 1 p.m. with the Rev. Donald Havrilla officiating. Interment will follow at the reservation cemetery.

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