Marlowe King, 73, a commodities trader and former member of the governors board of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, died Wednesday in Eisenhower Memorial Hospital in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
He was a longtime resident of Highland Park who spent winters in Rancho Mirage.
Mr. King served in the U.S. Army in Paris during World War II. After the war, he went to New York to work with his brother Max, who bought and sold eggs.
He later traded commodities in Chicago for the firm MJ King. In 1956, he and his brother established King & King Inc. Mr. King served as president of the clearing firm, which brokers used to settle or clear their trades.
Considered a pure analyst by his peers, Mr. King was a statistician who enjoyed gathering research and analyzing trading positions. He served for six years on the board of governors at the Mercantile Exchange, the group which helps make policy, and owned a seat on the Mercantile Exchange.
“He liked the feeling of using your mind to gamble,” said friend and associate Joe Singer. After the firm closed in 1986, Mr. King continued to trade independently from his office at the exchange.
Throughout his life, he contributed to charities important to him, including the Jewish United Fund and the Special Olympics. He was also a longtime member of the Briarwood Country Club in Deerfield.
Survivors include his wife, Helen; and a son, David. A memorial service was held Friday.
