Kildonan School founder Diana Hanbury King passes away

AMENIA — The Kildonan School and the local community are mourning Diana Hanbury King, who passed away at her home on Friday, June 15, at age 90.

King’s career in the field of dyslexia began at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., where she was personally trained by Anna Gillingham, the educator responsible for creating the Orton-Gillingham teaching approach. Her passion for the field continued to spark as she started her first teaching job at Ruzawi School in Zimbabwe, and by 1955, she founded Camp Dunnabeck in Pennsylvania to meet the needs of dyslexic students, serving as the camp’s director for 35 summers. Aided by Kurt Goldman, King transformed her vision into a reality by establishing The Kildonan School, first in Bucks County, Penn., then in Amenia.

In a time where it was unusual to be a single mother pursuing a career, King broke through the skepticism and financial challenges to create an environment where dyslexic students could reach their full potential and discover their talents in various fields. Standing today as a manifestation of King’s resolve, Kildonan School is now on its way to celebrating its 50th year. King’s vision sparked several other programs that modeled their approach after her experiences at Dunnabeck and The Kildonan School, including Fraser Academy in Canada and The Diana Hanbury King Academy for training teachers in Australia.

Throughout her long-standing career, King authored 15 educational books and mentored numerous leaders in the field of learning difficulties, eventually establishing the Kildonan Teacher Training Institute on The Kildonan School campus in Amenia. She was also the member and recipient of several prestigious organizations and honors, such as the International Dyslexia Association, the 2013 Margaret Byrd Rawson Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2016 National Teachers Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award.

“She really influenced education both here and abroad,” said Jillian Poole, King’s youngest sister.

Beyond her nearly 70-year career, King was well known for her avid gardening, her talent for networking and her taste for high culture. Along with being a continual presence at Paley’s Market in Sharon, Conn., she was recognized as a frequent patron of the arts, whether she was admiring a student art exhibit at The Hotchkiss School in Salisbury or observing a Metropolitan Opera performance at The Moviehouse in Millerton.

Though she took up residence in Lakeville, Conn., a few years ago, many remember her Victorian home in Amenia where she hosted lively summer parties in June and August to celebrate the beginning and end of the camp season at The Kildonan School. Leading the camp counselors in singing British folk songs, a few close to King will also recall her gift for bringing people together and inspiring them to get involved with the same cause.

“It was both a pleasure because she was a great storyteller and yet it could be intimidating because if you used the English language in a grammatically incorrect way, she’d be right on you,” said Kildonan School Head of School Kevin Pendergast with a laugh.

From watching the Blitz from a rooftop to celebrating her 89th birthday by para-sailing with her grandson in Costa Rica, an endless collection of stories pepper King’s extraordinary life.

“It was a pleasure to listen to her life and what she accomplished and it was a pleasure to hear how she appreciated life,” Pendergast said.

With the help of her son, Christopher, King’s final wish was to create the Diana King Scholarship at The Kildonan School. In lieu of sending flowers, community members can make an online donation at www.kildonan.org. Donations may also be made to the International Dyslexia Association at www.dyslexiaida.org and to the Academy of Orton-Gillingham Practitioners & Educators at www.ortonacademy.org.