Before departing on a trip home, Hailey King said goodbye and hugged her friend Azia Maund on Delta Gamma’s front lawn.
Maund didn’t know it at the time, but this would be the last time she saw her old soccer teammate, who she called a sister.
“We told each other how much we loved one another and just hugged for the longest time,” Maund said. “I am thankful for that moment. I wish I could have hugged her a little bit longer that day, but I know (King) knew how loved she was.”
King, a senior studying animal and veterinary science, died Aug. 28 from injuries suffered in a car crash seven days earlier. A member of the University of Idaho Delta Gamma sorority chapter, King was known for being well-rounded, compassionate and above all, kind.
According to family friend Laurie Chase Murdoch, the first thing you’d notice about King is how much she valued those around her.
“One summer, (King) was showing a sheep for the first time at the Caldwell Rodeo,” Murdoch recalled. “I was so proud of her, she did so well. But when she found out the fate of the sheep after the sale, she was heartbroken.”
Chris Reynolds, King’s high school soccer coach, shared a story of her resilience through a photograph.
The picture shows King on the field in her white Kuna soccer uniform, sporting a black eye and bandage from a collision with an opposing player in a high school match.
“When I ran out to (King) on the field, I was concerned about her well-being,” Reynolds said. “She was concerned that she was bleeding all over her white uniform.”
King never missed a practice. The day after the collision, she caught a lot of “you should have seen the other guy” jokes from teammates. While King made out with a black eye and stiches, the other girl lost several teeth, according to Reynolds.
That soccer team where Maund first met King served as the ignition for their friendship. After going their separate ways later in high school, the two reconnected at UI on the first day of fraternity and sorority life recruitment. The two remained close friends until King’s death.
King was always quoting funny movies and doing TikTok dances, Maund said.
“When I picture (King) in my head, the first thing that pops up is her big blue eyes as she dances around and sings country songs with me,” Maund said. “She showed everyone how to live life beautifully.”
A fundraiser on GoFundMe, organized by Delta Gamma President Payton Orem, was created to help King’s family pay for medical costs associated with the car accident. Since its creation Sept. 2, the Family Support Fund for Hailey King has raised nearly $32,000.
King is survived by her father, Dave King, mother, Cathe King, brother, Travis King, sister, Tianna King, and grandfather, John King, along with many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends whose hearts she touched deeply, according to a tribute on Cloverdale’s Funeral Home’s website.
A Celebration of Life will be held later due to COVID-19 concerns, Tianna King said.
Angela Palermo can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @apalermotweets