Wilbur Russell "Russ" Knight, 84, passed away Thursday evening January 25, 2024, at his residence in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was born June 10, 1939, in Franklinton, Louisiana.
Russ attended Franklinton High School, excelling in academics and athletics. He graduated in 1957 at the top of his class and went on to Georgia Tech in Atlanta. Though offered an athletic scholarship, he opted to focus on academics. During his summers he worked for Procter and Gamble at their plant in Perry, Florida. He graduated with many honors in 1961 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. After his graduation he began his sole career with Procter and Gamble. His accomplishments were many, including working on many international projects and several patents for his own designs.
Russ was preceded in death by his wife of 55 years, Anita Bulloch Knight; parents, Leon Marion Knight and Ella Bateman Knight; grandparents Zula Hennessey Knight, Murphy Bateman and Ethel McElveen Bateman, and Wilbur W. Knight and Ethyl Crowe Knight.
Left to cherish his memories are his children, sons, Wilbur Russell "Will" (Alexandra) Knight, Jr., and Warren Louis Knight; daughter, Joni Lynn Knight (Mark ) Adams all of the Cincinnati area; brothers, Murphy Leon "Sonny" (Juanita) Knight of Poplarville, MS; Richard Norris (Vicki) Knight and Clayton Stephen (Carole) Knight of Franklinton, LA; sister, Patricia Ella "Pat" Knight of Lafayette, LA; grandchildren, Paxton John Russell Knight, Spencer Leon Knight, Brian Thomas Paterno of the Cincinnati area; great-grandchildren, Julian Carter Paterno, Remington Renee Paterno; and great-aunt, Jeanne Knight Burris, formerly of Franklinton, LA and Kiln, MS.
A celebration of life and memorial service was held Saturday, February 3, 2024, from 12:00-4:00 p.m. at 787 Roundsbottom Road, Milford, Ohio.
TRIBUTE TO HIS DAD UPON HIS DEATH BY WILL KNIGHT, (WILBUR RUSSELL KNIGHT, JR)
My family has had an emotionally challenging month as we watched our dad's health steadily decline to his last days. This was our rock, the man who could do anything. His life encompassed so much, growing up in a small town in Louisiana, milking cows before school in the morning, lettering in every high school sport, maintaining straight A's, going to Georgia Tech in Chemical Engineering in Atlanta, graduating with honors, and beginning his career with Procter and Gamble, raising 3 kids while moving repeatedly as his career climbed quickly to plant engineer. He traveled all over the world on projects. He taught us how to hunt, fish, grow a large garden, work on cars, work on the house, burn off the lawn to start the spring. Yet he let us find our own way and make our own mistakes, knowing we remember those lessons best. He stayed with us through adversity and almost perished from a tree cutting accident that left him paraplegic. But that did not stop him; he had a family to take care of.
Went back to work after 13 months, driving a car with hand controls to work, promoted to section head over R&D at P&G, designed 2 different houses that made it easier for him to do everything himself and continued to look after his family to the end - 45 years as a paraplegic, unheard of. He will be loved forever and missed terribly. He is/was the greatest person i have ever known and this has hit me, and my siblings, hard. Thank you for understanding...
