In Memoriam – King Van Nest PLLC

Walter “King” Van Nest was a loving father, husband and US Air Force veteran whose life was abruptly cut short after being diagnosed with mesothelioma, an incurable lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. King worked as a corporate salesman who would not have routinely encountered asbestos during his 25-year career. No one was ever held accountable for his sudden and untimely death. The law firm of King Van Nest PLLC was formed in his honor to get answers for families who were devastated through no fault of their own and to hold the powerful accountable for their wrongful actions.

A Lasting Legacy

King was born on June 19, 1934, to Herbert and Marion Van Nest in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He grew up in Upper Darby and later graduated from Gettysburg College, where he belonged to the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity and played collegiate baseball.

King was commissioned in the US Air Force and served at various duty stations in the United States and overseas. His primary assignment was El Torrejon AFB in Madrid, Spain. For the next 25 years, King worked as a corporate salesman for Crown Cork and Seal Company before retiring as a District Sales Manager. He was a member of the Palms Presbyterian Church, Ponte Vedra Inn and Club, and the Lansdowne Lodge of the Free and Accepted Masons.

King died peacefully on July 27, 2010, and is survived by his wife, Susan; three children, Peter Van Nest, Jeffrey Van Nest, and Heather Van Nest; his grandchildren; and a sister.