Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, has died, Fox 5 reports. He was 62.
On Monday (January 22), the King Center announced that Dexter Scott King died following a "valiant battle with prostate cancer,"
"He transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu", his wife, Leah Weber King, said in a statement. "He gave it everything and battled this terrible disease until the end. As with all the challenges in his life, he faced this hurdle with bravery and might."
Dr. Bernice A. King, Dexter's sister and CEO of The King Center, said in a statement: "Words cannot express the heart break I feel from losing another sibling. I’m praying for strength to get through this very difficult time".
"The sudden shock is devastating. It is hard to have the right words at a moment like this. We ask for your prayers at this time for the entire King family," his brother, Martin Luther King, III added.
Dexter Scott King, named after Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery Alabama, where his father first served as a pastor, was born in Atlanta on January 30, 1961. His father was assassinated in Memphis, Tennesee in 1968 when he was just seven years old. Dexter went on to dedicate his life to preserving and protecting the civil rights icon's legacy and the intellectual property he left behind.
At the time of his death, Dexter was the Chairman of The King Center and the President of the King Estate. A memorial service for Dexter is set to be announced at a later time.
Rest in Peace, Dexter Scott King.
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