Visitation and Funeral Service for Ann King
Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023
Townley & Wheeler Funeral Home
21 Midline Road
Ballston Lake, NY 12019
Visitation - 4:00-7:00 pm
A Funeral Service will conclude the evening at 7:00 pm.
Also Read
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Ann King Obituary - Ballston Lake, NY | Townley & Wheeler Funeral Home
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Russell Sage College Athletics Mourns The Passing of Ann King (sagegators.com)
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Empire 8 25th Anniversary Legends Series: Ann King, Russell Sage College (empire8.com)
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Long-time Russell Sage sports information director Ann King remembered for dedication, vitaliity (dailygazette.com)
In Memoriam: Ann King
by Barb Kowal – CSC Director of Professional Development and External Affairs
John Paquette, BIG EAST Conference Senior Associate Communications, Sports Media Relations / 2023-24 College Sports Communicators (CSC) President
“I was very fortunate to have known Ann for a long, long time. We would see each other at some events and at many conventions. More than anything, she was an incredibly kind person. She always had a smile and such positive energy. Ann loved our profession and the people in our profession. Ann was beloved by so many. I know I will think of her the next time I am at one of our meetings.”
Erik Christianson, College Sports Communicators (CSC) Executive Director
"Ann was passionate about our organization and served our profession as a board member, as president of the Division III athletic communicators (D3SIDA) and on various committees. She approached her work with a great sense of purpose, she was a mentor to many, and she was recognized for her commitment to student-athletes throughout her career. We extend our heartfelt sympathies to Ann’s family and friends and to the numerous colleagues and student-athletes she influenced throughout her impressive career."
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A decorated veteran college athletic communications leader who was a passionate advocate for the profession and its people,
Ann King, 59, lost her courageous and public battle with cancer on September 14.
King, who was in her 14th year of service at Russell Sage College as Director of Athletic Communications in upstate New York (Troy), dedicated her career to college sports communications for nearly 40 years, working at NCAA Division III institutions.
Among those who survive her are her husband Tracy King, the Liberty League Commissioner (and a former sports information director), and son Robert, a freshman at the University of Connecticut.
The definition of a servant leader who was passionate about our CSC organization, Ann led by example and provided opportunities for others to grow and develop.
Ann was justly recognized for her great work and commitment throughout her career. Being inducted into the CSC Hall of Fame (2006) and earning our prestigious Mary Jo Haverbeck Trailblazer Award (2018) are two examples of her impact as she supported and influenced colleagues and her student-athletes. The Haverbeck Award, named for one of King’s mentors, the late Penn State SID Mary Jo Haverbeck, honors those who are a pioneer in the field of sports information and have mentored and helped improve the level of ethnic and gender diversity within the organization.
Ann also earned CSC's college division’s highest honor, the Warren Berg Award, in 2003, becoming the first female to win that recognition. She was a 25-Year Award recipient in 2011.
King was a past president of EAST-COMM, the Eastern Athletic Communications Association (formerly ECAC-SIDA), serving as the organization's president in 2003-04. She earned two of the highest honors from the organization: the Irving T. Marsh Award (2007) for outstanding service in sports communications, and the Pete Nevins Award for Distinguished Achievement (2020).
And, in mid-September 2023, King was recognized as part of the
Empire 8 Conference 25th Anniversary Legends Series.
While serving on the (CoSIDA) board of directors from 1999-2002, she was just the tenth female named to the board in the 63-year history of the organization. She then became the first female president of the Division III athletic communicators (D3SIDA) organization for the 2019-2020 academic year. In the spring of 2012, King was named to the NCAA's Division III governance-CoSIDA strategic communications committee to explore issues and topics affecting D3 SIDs, and was elected as the group's chair. She also served as a member of the NCAA Media Coordination Advisory Board from 2012-2015.
In the early 2000’s, Ann was one of the founders of FAME (Female Athletic Media Relations Executives), which then evolved to WoSIDA and is now CSC Women, an active group in the organization whose mission is to discuss issues facing women in the sports media relations field and to develop appropriate strategies and education to deal with those issues.
In the springs of 2017 and 2018, King was chosen to participate in the NCAA Division III CoSIDA Student Program, serving as a mentor to a rising college senior looking to pursue a career in intercollegiate athletics.
Throughout her career, Ann served on various CSC committees, and was a current member of the Special Awards Committee.
She came to Sage in the summer of 2009 as its first full-time sports information director after serving 17 years as the SID at The College of New Jersey. Prior to her arrival at TCNJ, she served for six years as SID at her alma mater, Drew University in Madison, NJ.
Ann King served her institutions and our organization with a great sense of purpose and was a mentor to so many.
Below are the thoughts of many leaders and colleagues who talk about the impact Ann had throughout her career.
Gallery: (9-15-2023) Ann King
Tributes from CSC leaders throughout the years and other college athletic leaders.
Shelly Poe, Auburn University Assistant Athletic Director- Communications / Past CSC President and CSC Hall of Famer
“Ann and I both joined the CSC (CoSIDA) Board of Directors in 1999, and that was the start of a friendship that our organization is so good at – two SID who were in different divisions, different regions, but yet became lifelong friends. We learned a lot together as members of the Board and shared many experiences as part of what was then FAME (now CSC Women), the women communicators’ group. Part of the honor of joining the CoSIDA Hall of Fame was that Ann was going in at the exact same time, and a highlight of every convention was catching up on family and professional news while we went from panel to panel and vendor to vendor.
Ann was a terrific professional who loved this work and executed it with the highest standards. She was a leader in so many ways, but her shining strength was her unfailing optimism and her willingness to make a friend of everyone she met. A terrific partner, a great mom, a caring friend – we will feel her loss tremendously.”
Amie Canfield, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Athletic Communications Director and 2023-24 Division III CSC Cabinet and D3SIDA President
“I was a young 20-something, still new to the profession kid when I met Ann King. It was at ECAC-SIDA (now EAST-COMM) and I was so enamored and awestruck to meet someone who I considered my idol in this profession. She was gracious, kind, funny and wonderful … never hesitating for one moment to tell me, ‘If you ever need anything, you let me know.’
To be honest, I thought I’d struck gold when in 2009, she became the SID at Russell Sage, just down the road from me at RPI. It gave me the opportunity to hear her stories, learn from her and more importantly, build a friendship that would mean the world to me.
Ann was a learner, adaptable and open to new things. It’s always dumbfounded me that I taught her to score lacrosse, but that’s who she was. Unafraid to challenge herself, ask questions and learn new things.
There are so many memories I have of Ann that I’m not even certain where I can start. The time that she, myself, Emily Loux and Adele Burk all shared a room at convention in Orlando, or sitting with her in the stands at a Sage game talking.
I remember her voice, emotional and proud, when she called to tell me that I had been named the CSC Rising Star Award recipient – which she had nominated me for. And I remember exchanging emails with her just this past Friday as our tennis team’s match against one another was canceled due to storms.
Ann was a leader, a legend, a pioneer. She was strong, warm, caring and passionate. She was a mother, a wife, a daughter, a friend. But most important of all, she was a fighter till the very end.
To a woman whose light and love touched so many of us, thank you, Ann. You will be so deeply and incredibly missed.”
Tim Volkmann, Rochester Institute of Technology Director of Athletic Communications / Past President, CSC Division III Cabinet and D3SIDA
“I first met Ann during a convention over 20 years ago and I quickly learned the only things that could top her passion for our profession were the size of her smile and the depth of her warmth. I was honored to later serve with her on the D3SIDA Board and I always admired how she never held back when it came to sharing her opinion. I also remember a phone call and some good advice about leading in a way that was not only best for our membership, but for my family and I’ll always be grateful for her guidance. She will be missed but her legacy will live on in the countless SIDs and student-athletes she was a role model for.
Doug Vance, retired CSC Executive Director / CSC Past President and Hall of Famer
“Ann poured her heart and soul into her job and into her profession. Her courage was inspiring and her love of family, friends and colleagues around the country would be hard to match. Words of sympathy feel inadequate in expressing grief for a loss so great. Ann made a difference in the lives of many. Wishing healing and peace for her family.”
James Lyons, Russell Sage College Director of Athletics
"I want to extend my heartfelt condolences, and the deepest sympathies of everyone at Russell Sage, to Tracy and Robert as well as to the Bready and King families. Ann came to Russell Sage almost 15 years ago, and made an immediate impact on the athletic department and the college. Her work ethic and dedication to our student athletes were equally matched by her professionalism and her love for her craft. Our hearts are heavy due to the loss of our friend and colleague, but our memories will be forever full of examples of her kindness, willingness to serve and help others, and of her smile and friendship."
Sam Atkinson, Gallaudet University Associate Athletic Director for Communications / CSC Past President (2020-21)
"Ann King was a true trailblazer and pioneer in the college sports communications field. She was the matriarch for women in this profession as one of the founders of Female Athletic Media Relations Executives (FAME), then WoSIDA, now known as CSC Women. Ann was Division III through and through from her stops at her alma mater Drew University, The College of New Jersey and Sage College, which spanned over three decades. Ann was a leader and true champion of others as she helped to celebrate and recognize many in this profession during her time in CSC. We are all so lucky to have known Ann as she will be deeply missed."
Chuck Mitrano, Empire 8 Conference, commenting on Ann being named an Empire 8 25th Anniversary Legend in mid-September
"Ann is a legend and pioneer in the field of college sports communications as well as Empire 8. She has been a tireless advocate for ethnic and gender diversity in college sports communications. Her leadership, advocacy and mentorship has been impactful in helping the industry evolve. In addition to her substantial influence, Ann’s boundless energy and passion for student-athletes makes her an ideal individual to be named an Empire 8 Legend.”
Tammy Boclair, Alday Communications Vice President / Former CSC President and a CSC Hall of Famer
“Ann was one of the most passionate people I knew. She loved CSC (CoSIDA), she loved her student-athletes and student-workers, she loved being an SID, and – most of all – she loved being a wife to Tracy and a mother to Robert.
Even though we only saw each other once a year at our annual convention, she was a dear friend and I always looked forward to the BIG hug and BIG smile I got when I saw her.
Ann was such a cheerleader and mentor for so many people, including me. She was not afraid to speak up or share her thoughts, even if it was not a popular choice. But, that was Ann. She was brave.
Nothing exemplified her courage and grace more than her battle with breast cancer and leukemia. I marveled at each of her inspiring Facebook posts, which gave us all an update on her journey. Again, Ann did not show if she was afraid. Instead, she expressed so much positivity, love and hope. Like always, she helped others understand her journey and let us know ‘I’ve got this.’
Leonardo da Vinci said, "As a day well spent brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death." My sadness at Ann's passing from this life is more than offset by the manner in which she lived. She loved hard and she fought hard. Heaven just gained an angel who is ready for her new role.
Ann did not lose her battle with cancer, she won eternal peace and left a bit of herself in the hearts and minds of so many."
Eric McDowell, North Atlantic Conference Assistant Commissioner/ CSC Past President and CSC Hall of Fame
"Ann King touched the lives of so many individuals, especially in our profession. When somebody can make you smile the minute you see them, well, that is special. For nearly 50 years I was blessed to have worked with her, to feed off her passion, to discuss our members and our organization, and to witness her impact on student-athletes, coaches and administrators.
Ann defined the word "CARE." She cared so much about all of us, personally and professionally. She started a department at Russell Sage from scratch and as the first full time SID, built it to her high standards. She raised the bar, and yet always had a grip on it. Her leadership roles for CSC, D3SIDA and EAST-COMM her with opportunities to lead
and to guide, and all of us were the beneficiaries. Our thoughts and prayers are with her husband Tracy and son Robert. We will miss Ann so very much, but she leaves us with her heart and soul and her smiles that we will always cherish."
Greg Pellegrino, Penn State Abington Sports Information Director / 2023-24 EAST-COMM President
“We as an association are heartbroken with the news of the passing of Ann. She was one of the greats to trailblaze and work in this profession, and more importantly, one of the greatest people you will ever come across. Ann had a true passion and it showed in how she showcased her student-athletes and teams at Sage, and previously at TCNJ and Drew. Ann meant a lot to EAST-COMM (formerly ECAC-SIDA), as she paved the way for many in the profession. Ann will truly be missed, but her memory and legacy will live on. Our thoughts are with her family, friends, and the Sage community during this difficult time.”
Lisa Champagne, New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Assistant Director for Media Relations
“Ann was not only a good friend, but she was also the best person I have known. When I think of Ann I think of three words – kindness, passion, and service. Ann ALWAYS thought of others: whether doing her job at an extraordinary level to serve and promote her student-athletes and colleagues in the athletic departments, discretely nominating a deserving colleague for an award, or being the first person to offer to help.
Her legacy is one of being an advocate and mentor for women in the profession, a passionate Division III supporter, and a fighter for more resources for all. Ann was also the “queen of swag.” My favorite memories of her include walking through the exhibit halls at CSC Conventions with her and watching her grab all the swag! Outside of the job, Ann was proud to show her horse, Cosmo, at equestrian competitions. They were an award-winning duo. Ann also beamed with pride any time someone mentioned her son Robert or husband Tracy. My thoughts are with her loved one and her many friends.”