Twenty-two years ago, Maureen made her regular stop at her local gym, San Ramon 24-Hour Fitness, to fit some exercise into her busy day. Little did she know, this would not turn out to be an ordinary day because Karl had also stopped in for his workout, and their paths were about to cross and change their lives forever. After talking at the gym, Maureen says they both realized they attended the same church. “It was wild because Karl lived in Los Gatos and I lived in Danville, so what were the chances of us meeting and having so much in common? We both knew we were the one because we have similar interests, like our faith, fitness, and longing to start a family. Our theme is based on mutual love, helping each other feel special and heard while brightening up each other’s world,” shares Maureen.
The couple married in 2005 and honeymooned in Maui, which ended up involving a helicopter crash. “On the third day of our honeymoon, I talked Karl into taking a helicopter ride. Karl was not too thrilled about it but agreed. At first, it was beautiful as we viewed volcanoes and waterfalls, but after a malfunction of the rear rotor, our helicopter ended up spinning out of control and crashing in a sugarcane field next to the airport. With lights blazing, a fire and rescue team came to get us. The good news was that no one was hurt, only a little shaken up, especially the pilot. We both haven’t been on or had any interest in a helicopter ride since,” says Maureen.
Karl was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and moved to Pleasanton when he was in high school. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from UC San Diego and a Masters of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Utah. He currently works in technology sales, providing storage solutions for large data centers in Silicon Valley.
Maureen was born in Walnut Creek, and moved to Washington State as a baby, then back to Livermore when she was nine years old. She is currently working with Tucker Associates Real Estate Services in Blackhawk. Licensed since 2001, Maureen takes great pride in delivering exceptional service to her clientele. She is also currently targeting investing and Airbnb’s for her clients.
Sixteen-year-old daughter Sydney and two rescue Tabby cat brothers, Sox and Boots, complete the family. Sydney attends Valor Global Online School. Sydney spends her summers volunteering for local church camps. She loves being a junior leader and helping the kids. She’s also involved in theater and singing, and she plays soccer with the Mustangs Soccer Club and swims with the HOX Swim Team. “Sydney and her Dad have taken part in the Father Daughter dance with Tiffany Dance School for the past ten years. They perform at Chabot College every year. In addition, Sydney and I have three shows a year singing at the Alameda County Fair on the grandstand stage. Sydney’s recorded her first song, “Reach for the Stars,” that will be released this year! We all have a passion for music, and Sydney played piano for years and has composed her own music and lyrics from a young age,” says Maureen.
The King family is full of passions and talents, and they love sharing their joy with others. Maureen has been a professional Jazz singer for the past ten years, including headlining the San Jose Jazz Festival and performing at Wente Winery in Livermore. She recorded her first album in Nashville in 2007 and is currently working on her second album, “Heaven”. Maureen also has a passion for ministry and is currently working on a book called You are Genius. “My new book will be available in a few months. It’s basically a simple 21-day read of all my research on my favorite authors in one book,” says Maureen.
Karl’s passion has always been to adopt or be a foster parent. “I do believe one day this will happen. We’ve been waiting for the right time. Currently, we are sponsoring four kids through Compassion International. We both volunteered for ten years as AWANA Leaders for kids at Valley Community Church. We are also involved in St Jude, Heavenly Beds, Kids Against Hunger and Monthly Miracles,” says Maureen. The family says they have found a second home at The Rock Church. “Our most favorite thing about Danville is that we absolutely love our church! The Rock Church in Danville! We have met so many new friends who have become family now.”
Travel and quality family time together are top priorities for the King family. They love to camp by the coast, ski in Lake Tahoe, golf at Pebble Beach, and stay at the Seascape Beach Resort in Aptos. “We take a family trip each year to Hawaii. We love snorkeling, zip lining over the waterfalls, horseback riding, swimming with dolphins, hiking in the volcanoes, visiting our favorite restaurants, and watching the sunsets! We recently purchased a five acre ranch in Temecula Wine Country. We plan on adding some vacation rentals to our property. Because of the ranch, we are spending more time in the San Diego area now. The best part of our trips is being together and hanging out! We have so much laughter and fun,” says Maureen.
Blackhawk residents since 2020, The Kings live on the East side of Blackhawk Dr. They feel blessed to be a part of the community. “We wanted a gated community and resort style living. We love the extra security and safety here! The neighbors are all so friendly and welcoming. We live on the 7th green, with the golf course and rolling hills as our backyard views. Karl loves to golf with neighbors in Blackhawk. We feel extremely blessed to be a part of the Blackhawk Community. We love to go for walks as a family, and we have met so many neighbors just walking around admiring the beauty of our community. There’s no place like Blackhawk – It’s one of a kind!”
By Megan Scott, Resident since 2010
Images courtesy of King Family and Sandy Martinez with Emerald studios
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