William David Knight

William David Knight was born on October 21, 1942, to Johnye and Oscar Knight in Sturgis, Kentucky. He was the youngest of four children, with two sisters, Joyce and Frances, and a brother, Phillip. He graduated from Union County High School and Murray State University with a degree in Business Management. He was honorably discharged from the Army after serving in the Reserves for six years and reaching the rank of Sergeant.

David was married to Anne in in 1967 in Sturgis, Kentucky. They had two daughters, Shannan Renee and Shawn Rochelle; two sons, Timothy David and Patrick Scott; and two grandchildren, Brittany Renee and Austin Carroll. David and Anne were married for 35 years.

David worked in the coal mines in western Kentucky prior to attending Murray State. After graduating, he worked in the insurance industry for the rest of his career. He moved with Hartford Insurance several times until he ended up in Houston, where he and Anne loved the winter weather, and chose to stay.

In retirement, David lived in Richmond, Texas, with his dogs and son Patrick. He focused his efforts on genealogy research and compiled a vast amount of information tracing his family lineage back several hundred years. He enjoyed playing golf and arguing about politics. He loved spending time with his grandchildren and was excited to see them grow up. He was a dog lover, adopting two German Shepherds and a Malamute Mix. They were his constant companions.

He passed away on April 23rd after a long struggle with Multiple System Atrophy, also known as Shy-Drager Syndrome, with his children and grandchildren by his side.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Anne. He is survived by four children, Shannan Haire, Shawn Knight, Timothy Knight, and Patrick Knight; three siblings, Joyce Smith, Frances Wells, and Phillip Knight; and two grandchildren, Brittany and Austin Haire.

The burial will be a private ceremony for the immediate family on April 26th. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) Coalition at www.shy-drager.org.