Terilla King Letsinger died in her Ajijic home on January 4 after a long illness at the age of 78.
Born April 28, 1933 in Terra Haute, Indiana, she enjoyed a career as an interior designer, decorator and florist in the Sacramento, California area.
King moved to Guadalajara in 1997 after a visit there, scoping out a good spot for her retirement. She was a member of St. Mark’s Anglican Church and the Guadalajara Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). She eventually became regent of that organization.
She moved to Lakeside in 2000, where she became a willing and popular hostess. She was a member of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, where she was in charge of the sanctuary flowers and the gardens. She maintained her membership in the Guadalajara DAR and often represented that organization at expatriate patriotic gatherings.
King was a member of the International Order of the Eastern Star for more than 35 years. She was also the Associate Matron of Estrella del Lago, Chapter 10, Order of the Eastern Star in Ajijic.
She is survived by a daughter, Cheryl Collins of Wachats, Oregon and a son, Karl Dambacher of Sacramento, California. She had four grandchildren. Her husband Don Letsinger, “the love of her life,” passed away in 2009.
King will be remembered at a celebration of life on Thursday, January 19, 11 a.m. at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Riberas del Pilar.