Read Dexter Scott King's Wife Leah Weber's Tribute to Late Husband

Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, has died at the age of 62. "He transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu," Leah Weber King, his wife of 11 years, said in a statement. "He gave it everything and battled

Dexter Scott King, the youngest son of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King, has died at the age of 62.

"He transitioned peacefully in his sleep at home with me in Malibu," Leah Weber King, his wife of 11 years, 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."

The King Center confirmed Monday that King died after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. King, a civil rights activist, is survived by his wife, sister Dr. Bernice King, brother Martin Luther King III and niece Yolanda Renee King.

A graduate of Morehouse College, like his father, he became well versed in intellectual property law. He also portrayed his father in a small role in the 2002 film The Rosa Parks Story. At the time of his death, he was chairman of the King Center and president of the King Estate.

Born in Atlanta on January 30, 1961, King was named for the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, where his father served as first pastorate. He was only 7 when his father was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee.

He told CNN he had been watching TV with his brother when a news report announced that their father had been shot. He called it "a very chaotic and traumatic period."

King's mother died nearly 18 years ago, on his 45th birthday. He would have turned 63 next week.

King and his wife, an entrepreneur and former broadcast journalist, were married in a private ceremony in July 2013. They did not have children.

"Together they built a life of love, support and unconditional love, much like that of Dexter's mother and father," the King Center said Monday.

King's sister Bernice King said Monday: "Words cannot express the heartbreak I feel from losing another sibling. I'm praying for strength to get through this very difficult time." Their eldest sister, Yolanda, died in 2007.

"The sudden shock is devastating," said his brother, Martin Luther King III. "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."

Civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton sent condolences to King's family and friends on Monday, saying in a post on X, formerly Twitter: "May he RIP, may his legacy live."

A memorial service will be announced at a later time.

Update 1/22/24, 2:43 ET: This article has been updated with additional information.

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

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