THE LLOYD J. KING AND ELEANOR R. KING FOUDATION is a Colorado Charitable Foundation chartered after the death of Lloyd King in January of 1998. It was funded after the death of Eleanor King in June, 2008.

           Colorado remembers Lloyd King as the Founder of King Soopers and the Developer of the Town of Bow Mar, Colorado. He was a grocery pioneer and innovator. He was the first grocer in the country to include a pharmacy in his stores. From humble beginnings he rose to become one of the "Nation's" foremost food merchandisers. Today King Soopers is a part of the Kroger Chain of supermarkets.

           Lloyd King was born on a farm near Meadow Grove, Nebraska on April 21, 1906. Eleanor King was born in the farming community of Lewistown, Illinois on March 6, 1912. She met Lloyd in Denver after moving to Colorado following the Second World War. They were married in Denver on October 8, 1947 and celebrated their 50th Anniversary the year before Lloyd passed away.

           Lloyd and Eleanor King were part of what historians have termed America’s “greatest generation”. Both grew up in Midwest farming communities during difficult economic times brought on by the Great Depression. Both lost their parents at early ages. Neither went to college. In fact, Lloyd did not graduate from high school until age 21. After high school he opened his first store, a feed store, in Meadow Grove, Nebraska. He lost everything in the “Crash of 1929”. Lloyd served in the Navy during the Second World War. The first King Soopers was opened in Arvada, Colorado in 1947.

           From humble births, adversity, hard work and entrepreneurial spirits Lloyd and Eleanor King carved successful lives. In death their generosity exemplifies the “better angels of our souls”. They believed that we are stewards of whatever God has given us, to be returned to the community that had given us nurture. In these difficult times when “greed” and “avarice” have threatened the very foundations of our society, the lives of Lloyd and Eleanor King embody the values that have made our Country great. The King Foundation is a living memorial to the lives of Lloyd and Eleanor King. The Foundation currently contributes to more than 50 community organizations.