Mr. Karl Gaston Knowles

Karl Gaston Knowles. Karl, age 87, passed from this mortal plane peacefully the evening of 18 February in Atlanta’s Piedmont Hospital attended by family at his bedside after a series of illnesses. Predeceased by his parents, Rufus and Sarah Helene (Lena) Knowles, an infant brother, Rufus, Jr., and a younger brother, Robert Morris Knowles, he is survived by his older sister, Helen Sutliff (Knowles) of Birmingham, Alabama, nephews Richard Sutliff and his wife Gail of Smith County, Tennessee, Robert Morris Knowles, Jr. and his wife Kathy of Interlachen, Florida, Alan Wayne Knowles, James Woodruff and his wife June of Coosada, Alabama, Dan Woodruff and his wife Nellie of Prattville, Alabama and a niece, Gail Williams (Sutliff) and her husband Ron of Birmingham. Extended family includes Susan Shipley (Sutliff) and her husband Jason, Melissa Floyd (Sutliff) and her husband Ernie and their three children, Brice, Barrett and Vera, Eryn Sutliff, Jennifer McCollough (Sutliff) and her husband Seth and a special friend, Thelma O’Dell. A life long bachelor, he leaves no descendants.

He was born December 23, 1926 in Montgomery, Alabama where he grew up. A WW II veteran, he was inducted into the U.S. Army after graduation from high school and served honorably until his discharge in December 1946. After release he began a 20 year career as a civilian employee of the Army Air Corp (later U.S. Air Force) at what is now Maxwell AFB working as a pioneer in data processing starting with Univac serial number 2. Subsequently, he moved to the Atlanta, Georgia area where he held a number of management positions prior to retirement. His later years were spent at Calvin Court in Atlanta’s Buckhead area where he served several “terms” as its unofficial “mayor.”

A baptized believer since his youth, he was no stranger to Christian service and served a number of years as a deacon at Buckhead Baptist Church.

Grave side burial services with military honors were held on Saturday, 1 March in Ramer, Alabama where he now sleeps with his ancestors. A memorial/life celebration service is planned for a later date in Atlanta, Georgia.