We have had a great loss for the insulation industry. Tuesday, July 23, we learned of the passing of Ronald (Ron) L. King. “When you hear his name, you think of our industry, and when you think of our industry, you think of him and how much he has given. They will forever be intertwined. This industry has lost a giant. He will never be forgotten, and his legacy will live on with the Ronald King Distinguished Service Award,” said friend and decades-long collaborator Michele M. Jones, NIA’s EVP/CEO.
NIA President Jack Bittner of Johns Manville said, “I have known Ron for more than 40 years. He has been a competitor, a colleague, a customer, a mentor, an advisor, and personal friend to me throughout our history together. His passion for this industry was infectious. I am proud to have had the opportunity to know him and work with him. There will never be another like Ron, and I miss him greatly.”
Ron King was a workhorse with a distinguished 50+ year career in the construction industry’s commercial and industrial insulation segment. He owned and operated a small contracting business; served as Vice President of a large national specialty contractor; President of a national accessory manufacturer; and retired from SPI in 2004 as Chairman, President, and CEO. He is a Past President of the National Insulation Association (NIA), the Southwest Insulation Contractors Association (SWICA), and the World Insulation and Acoustic Congress Organization (WIACO).
Even after retirement, Ron continued to improve the industry that he loved. His latest passion project was creating National Standards for the mechanical insulation industry. He served as a full-time consultant to the NIA on a variety of educational, outreach, and governmental initiatives, including as Chairman of the National Institute of Building Sciences’ National Mechanical Insulation Committee, Past Chairman of Consultative Council, and NIA’s liaison to the Federation of European Insulation Societies (FESI), which represents the European mechanical insulation market. Ron was driven to provide better resources for the industry by writing the Mechanical Insulation Design Guide and promoting the value of insulation as an emission and energy-reducing technology.
The tirelessness of his devotion to the mechanical insulation industry and his resulting accomplishments have been recognized by his peers on many occasions. He has been honored with the “President’s Award” on three different occasions from two insulation associations: SWICA and NIA. Ron earned NIA’s President’s Award in 1986 and again in 2001. In April 2024, NIA renamed the President’s Award to the Ronald King Distinguished Service Award to honor him, forever linking him to future leaders who accomplish the pinnacle of achievement and service within the insulation industry. He is one of two people ever to be awarded the status of Honorary Member of NIA.
Ron will be missed by the entire mechanical insulation industry. He is survived by three sons— Daniel, David, and Rick—six grandchildren, and was soon to become a great grandfather. Ron will be buried next to MaryAnn, his wife of more than 50 years, at the National Funeral Home and Memorial Park cemetery in Falls Church, Virginia. Information regarding his services will be provided once they become available from his family.
A message from his son Daniel (Danny) King who, like his father, made a career in the mechanical insulation industry and is a SWICA Past President:
“On behalf of myself and the entire King family, I would like to thank you all for your prayers and support during this time. The loss of Dad cannot be measured. He leaves a huge void in our hearts and lives. When Dad received the honor and recognition from NIA renaming the President’s Award to the Ronald King Distinguished Service Award, I shared that Dad did a lot of great things for this industry, but he was an even greater dad. He will be missed in so many ways!”