George W. (Bill) Knight
1933-2019
George W. (Bill) Knight, 85, went to meet his Lord on Monday, April 15, 2019. A celebration of his life will be held Thursday, April 18 at 2 p.m. at Memorial Road Church of Christ in Edmond, Okla. Services are under the direction of Matthews Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Dow Graduate Endowed Scholarship at the Abilene Christian University Foundation, ACU Box 29200, Abilene, Texas 79699-9200 or acu.edu/give , memo/note "In memory of George (Bill) Knight". Online condolences may be left at matthewsfuneralhome.com/obituaries .
Bill Knight was born in Stuart, Okla. on December 1, 1933 to W.A. (Bill) and Myrtle Knight. After graduating from McAlester High School in 1951, Bill attended Abilene Christian College where he met the love of his life, Anna Daugherty Knight of Seminole, Texas. Bill and Anna married in 1956 and raised three children, Natasha, Renai and Tony in Lake Jackson, Texas. Edmond later became their new home where they moved in 1997. Bill and Anna were blessed with 43 wonderful years of marriage before Anna's passing in 1999. Bill was then blessed with a second love in his life, Donna Sharp Knight of Edmond and they were married in 2004.
While at ACU, Bill earned his B.A. in Chemistry in 1955 followed by his M.S. in Biochemistry from Florida State University in 1957. Bill taught chemistry at ACU for three years before beginning his 35-year career as a polymer chemist with Dow Chemical Company. He retired as a Sr. Research Chemist for Dow Chemical where he developed the INSITE™ technology polymers structure property relationships for applications development. In 2015, he was named as an American Chemical Society Hero of Chemistry for his contributions to the innovation of INSITE™ technology that led to the creation of novel polyethylene elastomers. At Dow, Bill was awarded the highest honor bestowed on a scientist, the HH Dow Medal in 1991, for his contributions to polymer science. In 1994, the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Patents, Copyrights & Trademarks recognized his team of five researchers as National Inventors of the Year, for their creation of a new family of plastics. Throughout his time at Dow, over 56 patents were awarded for his work on polymers and elastomers. Bill retired from Dow in 1996 and continues to have patents awarded for his work to this very day.
Even with his outstanding professional accomplishments, Bill's greatest joy was service to God and others. Serving people was one of Bill's passions and he enjoyed this in many ways. Before moving to Edmond, he and his wife Anna were members of the Lake Jackson Church of Christ where they served together in many roles for 35 years, perhaps most significantly in hospitality and mentoring of others. Bill was a teacher, song leader, deacon and elder.
Prior to attending ACU, Bill had never been more than 50 miles from his hometown, but his travels eventually took him to six of the seven continents, including Antarctica, the Holy Lands, Russia and the Egyptian Pyramids, to name a few. Bill also loved woodworking, gardening and had the best sense of humor until his final day on this earth. Part of his legacy will be the humor and joy that he left with all who knew him.
Bill is preceded in death by his first wife, Anna Daugherty Knight, his parents, Bill and Myrtle Knight, his three siblings, Eugene Knight, Darlene Sisco and Rheta Beth Brookins. Bill is survived by his wife Donna Sharp Knight and three children Natasha Brown and her husband Hiram, Renai McClanahan and her husband Rich, and Tony Knight and his wife Elise. Bill's grandchildren include Ryan Brown, Elaine Brown, Amber Brown Green, Eric McClanahan, Emilie McClanahan Hechtner, Brandon Knight and Kristi Knight, along with great grandchildren, Ari Brown, Beckham McClanahan, Lincoln Green and a fourth one to arrive in May. Bill's family would like to give honorary recognition to those who became his adopted family over the past several years, the caregivers of Golden Heart Senior Care and Good Shepherd Hospice.
Howard Norton, college friend of 66 years said, "Bill was an influential, spiritual leader of the Lake Jackson Church of Christ and a great encouragement to me. When Bill spoke, people listened and his comments were kind, thought-provoking and persuasive. Bill's professional accomplishments at Dow Chemical were legendary. During the many years he worked there, he used his leadership position at Dow to hire outstanding Christian professionals who were also committed to the cause of Christ and became stalwarts in the Lake Jackson church. It is not easy to give up good soldiers of the cross and find their replacements. Bill was a Biblical scholar, a wise and caring elder, and a generous benefactor "ready unto every good work." He was my brother in Christ, and I will miss him."
Our prayer is that all whose lives have been touched by Bill will seek and walk in the way of Truth so that we might all enjoy the greatest reunion with him one day.