William "Bill" Knight Jr.

William Collins Knight, Jr. (Bill) was born in St. Louis, Missouri January 24, 1938, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Collins Knight Sr. (Virginia Helen Koerner), and died June 21, 2026 in Birmingham, Alabama surrounded by family.

He is survived by his wife, three months short of 65 years, Betty, his daughters Elizabeth Timberlake Knight Hubbard (Shane), Mary Virginia Knight Cater (Ken), grandsons Austin Taylor Hubbard (Katelyn), William Timberlake Hubbard (Mary Margaret) Landon Knight Cater and Massey Reed Cater, great-grandchildren, George Timberlake Hubbard, Peter Knight Hubbard, Collins Dupree Hubbard, Ellie Mixon Hubbard, Anne Bradley Hubbard; his brother, Robert Arthur Knight (Debbie) Fernandina Beach, Florida and their family.

Bill’s family moved to Birmingham, Alabama and he graduated from Edgewood Elementary School and Shades Valley High School, where he was President of the Freshman, Sophomore, Junior and Senior Classes, played varsity football, was on the track team, and was involved in other school activities.

He received a football scholarship to the University of Alabama, was a member of the A Club, and Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity and other organizations.

He graduated in 1960, and began working at the Alabama Power Company during the day and attending the Birmingham School of Law five nights a week for four years.

Having been in the ROTC program at the University of Alabama, his obligation to the Army was for six months as a Second Lieutenant at Fort Lee in Petersburg Virginia. As a result of the Berlin Crisis, his service was extended to a year and he finished his service as a Captain. At that time he married Betty Timberlake.

He returned to Birmingham and back to Alabama Power Company and night law school. After graduating, he began his career at Thomas, Taliaferro, Forman, Burr and Murray Law Firm which became Burr and Forman, and where he eventually became managing partner. He was a member of various legal organizations, and had leadership roles in many. He taught for many years a class of law students at Birmingham School of Law on Monday nights.

Bill was a member of Highlands United Methodist Church, The Redstone Club, and Mountain Brook Club and involved in The Greater Birmingham Humane Society, The Salvation Army, Parkinson Association of Alabama, Toys For Tots and other Nonprofit Organizations.

Visitation will be at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, June 29 , 2026 at Highlands United Methodist Church followed by a memorial service at 2:00 p.m.

We thank God for our wonderful caregivers Kennetta Jones, Danetta Davis, Diane Jeffery, LaToya Sellers and Tomeka Mitchell.

In lieu of flowers memorials can be made in his memory to Parkinson Association of Alabama, The Greater Birmingham Humane Society, The Salvation Army and Highlands United Methodist Church.