Obituary for Max Knight

Max A. Knight, age 92, passed away peacefully at his home on Friday, January 2, 2015.

Memorial Services with Naval Military Honors will be held at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, January 6, 2015 in the Chapel at Trout Funeral Home and Crematory of Ponca City. Chaplain Mike Sweetman of Hospice of North Central Oklahoma is officiating. Honorary casket bearers include: John O’Quain, Bryan Hall, John Fansler, and Josh Fansler.

Mr. Knight was born on July 9, 1922 in Huntington County, Indiana to parents W. Clyde Knight and Anna Doyce (Tibbals) Knight. The family moved to Webb City, OK in 1929 and he graduated from Webb City High School in 1940. He then attended Bartlesville Business College and graduated in 1941. He worked for DuPont Ordinance Works in Pryor for several months before joining the U.S. Navy in November of 1942. While in the Navy, Max was assigned to Admiral Small of the flag allowance of Commander Cruiser Division Five where he served on the U.S.S. Chester and for a brief time on the Minneapolis, both heavy cruisers. He participated in pre-invasion bombardments of Gilbert, Marshal, and Iwo Jima islands, second Philippine Battle, Kurile bombardments among others. He was later discharged in 1945, and attended NOJC for two years, graduating from Oklahoma A & M in 1952.

Max married Joyce Artman on September 16, 1949 in Bentonville, Arkansas. And he worked for Conoco as an accountant from 1952 until his retirement in 1980. He was a member of the Osage Heights Baptist Church, the D.A.V., V.F.W., and the American Legion. He was an avid collector of paper weights for 47 years and all during this time a member of the Oklahoma Chapter of Paperweight Collectors Association.

Survivors include his beloved wife Joyce also of Ponca City, daughter, Marnie Nemechek of Ponca City, sister Leatha L. Eck of Sioux City, Iowa, brother in law John Artman of Newkirk, Oklahoma; nieces and nephews include: Dr. Sharon Eck Birmingham and husband Andy of Beaufort, North Carolina, Trish K. Eck of Sioux City, Iowa, Lisbeth Klein and husband Jonathan of Muscatine, Iowa, Dawn Hall of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Cynthia Caldwell and husband Mike of Ponca City, Gary Dean Coleman and wife Karen of Fort Worth, Texas, Connie O’Quain and husband John of Ponca City, Michael Artman of Alaska and Thomas Knight and wife Marcy of Indiana, and numerous great nieces, nephews and dear friends. Max was preceded in death by his parents W. Clyde and Anna (Doyce) Knight, stepmother Martha Wimberley Knight and one brother, James Knight.

Please do not send flowers to the ceremony for health reasons for some of the family. In lieu of flowers, remember Max with memorial contributions to Hospice of North Central Oklahoma 445 Fairview Ave., Ponca City, OK 74601.

Source: Trout Funeral Home