Dr. Earnest Leon Knight Jr.

Dr. E. Leon Knight, Jr., age 74, of Georgetown, Texas, passed away on Monday, January 23, 2012. He was born on October 4, 1937 in Greenville, Texas to Bernice Marie Tarter Knight and Earnest Leon Knight. He graduated in 1955 from Jefferson High School in San Antonio and served in the U.S. Navy from 1955 to 1959. Leon earned a BA in Business Administration (1963).

Leon worked at the Ford Motor Company as District Sales Manager in the Houston, Texas office. During that time he met his future wife, Martha and they were married in 1966. He left Ford to pursue his education in graduate school from 1967 – 1970 earning his PhD in 1974 at the University of Texas at Austin, Texas. In 1970 he became an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the University of Kentucky. In 1975-1976 he was Professor of Marketing at the University of Tampa at Tampa, Florida. The family returned to Texas when he became Professor of Marketing for Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi where he retired as Professor Emeritus in 2000 to Sun City, Texas.

He was preceded in death by his parents and brothers John Wilson Knight and Donald Franklin Knight.

He is survived by his wife of 45 years, Martha Moreland Knight of Georgetown, TX; children, Meredith Knight Valenta and husband Matthew of Allen, TX and Stephen William Knight and wife Vanessa of Corbett, OR; grandchildren, Shannon Marie Valenta, Erin Donnel Valenta, Reagan Ann Valenta, Kelly Barrett Valenta, Jett William Knight, Jake Killian Knight and Beck Liam Knight; sisters-in-law, Shirley Knight and Emily Moreland; brother-in-law, William Kunkel; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A graveside service will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Friday, January 27, 2012 at Ater Cemetery in Gatesville, Texas with Reverend Rodney Kruse. There will be a reception at the Oaks Room in Sun City, Georgetown, Sunday, January 29, 2012 from 1:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made in Dr. Knight's honor to: Texas A&M Corpus Christi School of Business online at http://onlinegift.tamucc.edu

Arrangements under the direction of Cook-Walden Davis Funeral Home, 2900 Williams Drive, Georgetown, Texas 78628 (512)863-2564.