John L Knight

John Leonard Knight passed away peacefully on June 7, 2020, surrounded by family, of complications from cancer. He was born to Frank Walker and Mary Alice Walker Knight on January 28, 1931.
John served in the Army in the European Theater during the Korean Conflict. He served a mission for the LDS Church in Sheffield, England. He graduated from the University of Utah. His first employer was Gillam Advertising where he began his love for marketing and working with people. He worked as an insurance underwriter for Travelers Insurance and the Leavitt Group before starting his own agency, Energy Insurance & Bonds in 1989. After 15 years, he sold the agency to his son, Marcus, where he was able to continue to “dabble”.
John married Judith Ann Hansen on September 11, 1958. Together they had 5 children, 19 grandchildren and 39 great-grandchildren. Judith preceded him in death on August 9, 2008. John married DeAnn Barlow Walker Wilde Knight on September 4, 2009. John shares 5 step children with DeAnn.
John was a Norman Rockwell “every man”. He was an accomplished woodworker who built his own house and a sailboat. He always had a project on the workbench. He would quietly serve wherever he was needed, shunning the spotlight. He was always available to his family.
John loved his British ancestry, the German culture and John Phillips Souza music. He loved history and instilled that love to anyone who would listen. He was a huge fan of James Bond books, movies and trivia. He volunteered at local elementary schools to help kids read. He always made sure they had a book and a love for reading.
John is survived by his wife, DeAnn; 5 children; Jeffrey Kirk Knight (Rosa), John Marcus Knight (Denise), Jennifer Knight Lake (Robert), Melissa Knight Martinez, (Paul), and Jill Marie Knight Vandervort (Steve – deceased); many grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Funeral services were held on Wednesday, June, 10, 2020 at Russon Mortuary, with interment at Lakeview Memorial Cemetery with the service being broadcast via Facebook Live at 2:00 pm at https://www.facebook.com/russonmortuary. A memorial celebrating his life will be held later this summer.