The North Shore golf family is the poorer today after the recent passing of Kernwood’s Jack King and Myopia’s Joe Roberts.
The two men made our region a better place for golf in a variety of ways. King, a St. Mary’s High School of Lynn graduate and major donor, was 75. Roberts, who grew up in Wenham, graduated from the Brooks School before later settling in Hamilton, was 76.
King was a West Point graduate, served 10 years in the Army and attained the rank of major while serving in the U.S. and Brazil. He then enjoyed a successful career traveling the world working for ExxonMobil before retiring in 2006.
Soon thereafter, King had the chance to return to his beloved North Shore summers while retaining his family home in Houston winters. Thus began nearly 20 years of dedication to Kernwood Country Club, the Salem tract where he served as president during its centennial year in 2014.
In spite of his extraordinary philanthropic commitment to St. Mary’s and the 18 years he spent serving West Point as the admissions representative for the Sixth Congressional district, King found time to play a consequential role at Kernwood.
In addition to leading the club during a memorable centennial year, King and fellow member General David McKiernan (Ret.) established Kernwood as a regular host club for qualifying for The Simpson Cup, a tournament played between 13 injured Servicemen (often amputees) and veterans from both this country and Great Britain under a Ryder Cup-styled format. The seventh such qualifier was held at Kernwood earlier this year.
The Simpson Cup, conducted by the On Course Foundation, provides the hope of competing in the Simpson Cup later in the season at a nationally renowned golf club. This year Shinnecock Hills is the host venue.
King was thrilled to play a role in bringing the Simpson Cup regional qualifier to Kernwood and to see the event gain a permanent slot on the club’s tournament schedule.
“It’s a privilege and honor for all Kernwood members and their families to host these American heroes who gave so much of themselves in service to our great country,” King told this reporter on more than one occasion.
“This event is the very least we can do as a membership to thank these amazing veterans for all they have done for us citizens.”
King loved Kernwood. One of the last times he left home before his passing, King took one final ride around Kernwood in a golf cart smoking his favorite cigar.
Fulfilling one of his last requests, his funeral procession passed his beloved club en route to his burial in Star of the Sea Cemetery in Marblehead.
“We were blessed to have Jack as long as we did,” says Steve Solomon, current Kernwood president. “When we needed strong leadership, Jack was there to offer it and deliver.
“In addition to his special leadership, Jack was a great mentor to those of us who have followed him as president. He was a natural born leader and a wonderful ambassador for Kernwood.”
Myopia’s Roberts, like Jack King, was a Renaissance man through and through. The Harvard graduate succeeded in the financial services world for 50 years, first for Tucker Anthony and last for William Blair & Company.
He loved dogs, game hunting, the study of history, especially the Civil War, and the great outdoors in general.
Joe found time, too, to develop an exceptional golf game, thanks in large part to the genes provided by his mom, Alice, a fine player in her own right. He was a multi-time club champion at Myopia, where he also mentored many members’ children when the pro shop staff was not available.
He loved Myopia and all that the great game of golf offered at his favorite course in South Hamilton.