LEBANON, NH — William Albert Knight, 71, of North Fort Myers, FL and Lebanon, NH died on June 4 at the Jack Byrne Center for Palliative Care and Hospice after a courageous battle with cancer. Bill was born July 10, 1948 in Leominster, MA to Forrest & Marie Duval Knight.
Bill grew up in Gardner and Fall River, MA. Graduated from Durfee HS in 1966. He majored in History at UMass Amherst. He enjoyed reading and studying history throughout his life, stunning friends and family with the facts and stories he could recount.
Bill lived on Cape Cod for many years with first wife Ronna Jennings raising their two children Kevin & Jenny.
Bill married Marilyn Dow of South Royalton, VT at Killington Mountain in 1986. They enjoyed traveling and exploring the US, usually by camper on long road trips chasing his love of lighthouses, visiting almost every state and regularly visiting the tropics. They shared a love of camping and being on the water and spent 24 summers camping on the shores of lakes in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, the last 13 at the Mascoma Lake Campground where Bill spent time boating, fishing and always willing to lend a helping hand to friends and fellow campers in need.
Bill was a skilled carpenter for many years remodeling and building homes . He was also Maintenance Manager for Summit Lodge in Killington VT. Upon moving to MA in 1995 he was employed as Head Custodian in two schools the latest being at Andover School of Montessori where he retired in 2014.
Upon retirement they followed their dream of moving to Florida to be near their beloved ocean and spending summers in New Hampshire on the lake. Bill was at his happiest when captaining his pontoon boat, aptly named Knight Dreams, and giving tours to friends and family. Once in Florida his love was the golf course and beaches.
Bill was also an avid sports fan of all Boston Teams and Nascar where he enjoyed camping with his stepson Sam twice a year in Loudon NH.
Bill was pre-deceased by his parents. He is survived by his wife, Marilyn, son Kevin Knight and wife Chris of Arizona, daughter Jennifer Knight of MA, stepson Samuel Frank II and wife Jennifer of NH, four grandchildren, Brenden & Rachel Knight of AZ, Stephanie and Samuel Frank III of FL, sisters, Marcia Hathaway and husband Warren of MA and Pamela Silva and husband David of MA, Half-sister Phyllis Desmond-Brown of North Carolina, cousins Carol Ryan and Linda Waltbillig and their families both of Naples FL, and numerous nieces, nephews and in-laws.
A celebration of life will be schedule for next summer in New Hampshire.