John E. Knight Jr.
John E. Knight Jr., 86, of Gainesville, Fla., passed away Sunday just short of his 87th birthday.
John Knight was born in 1928 in Atlanta, Ga., the son of John E. Knight and Eva Mae Knight. He graduated from Landon High School in Jacksonville, Fla., in 1946 and from the University of Florida's College of Liberal Arts in 1950.
Mr. Knight was predeceased in death by his sister, Eva Sofge of Hilliard, Fla., in 2003 and by his first wife of 31 years, Anne Knight of Lake City, Fla., in 1984.
He is survived by his four children, Sharon Dye (John) of Denver, Colo., John E. Knight III (Leslie) of Gainesville, Fla., Susan Woodward (Allen) of Gaithersburg, Md., and James Knight (Staci) of Jacksonville, Fla.; and by seven grandchildren.
He is also survived by his wife of 29 years, Dr. Catherine Morsink of Gainesville, Fla.; her two children, Andrew Morsink (Terri) of Galena, Ohio, and Kristin Young (Samuel) of Lexington, Ky.; and her six grandchildren.
John spent the majority of his professional career in the field of hospital administration, beginning at Jacksonville Baptist Memorial as a personnel director in 1955. In 1957, he was asked to fill a similar position at the new University of Florida Teaching Hospital in Gainesville, Fla., later named Shands, recruiting new members of the medical staff. From 1962 to 1967, he served as assistant director of Charlotte Memorial Hospital in North Carolina and had a similar position at New Hanover Hospital in New Wilmington, N.C. In 1970, Mr. Knight was selected as director of Lake Shore Hospital in Lake City, Fla., where he remained until 1986.
During his 16 years at Lake Shore, John provided leadership that transformed a small hospital into a thriving medical complex. In his first year, the hospital started construction of a new four-story building, which was completed in 1973. He recruited physicians with new specialties such as cardiology, added a new radiology lab and a whole body CT scanner. Lake Shore Hospital hired qualified paramedics and took over the EMR services for Columbia County, then acquired nine acres for landing emergency helicopters and developed an ER that was considered one of the finest at any community hospital.
Upon his resignation in 1986, John Knight was recognized by his medical staff for “outstanding performance and dedicated service” and by the local paper for providing a “steady hand at the helm” for 16 years.
John Knight was an active member of the Lake City First United Methodist Church. He also provided leadership in the Lake City community, serving as president of the Chamber of Commerce, chairing fundraisers for the Cancer Society and serving on the Human Relations Board. He enjoyed golf and tennis and was a member of the Lake City Country Club. His first wife, Anne, was selected as Lake City's Woman of the Year in 1984.
John was an avid Gator fan who enjoyed watching football and basketball games. All four of the Knight children are graduates of the University of Florida: John III and Sharon are attorneys; James is a civil engineer; Susan completed her degree in dietetics. A loving father, John is extremely proud of all of his children. Their dedication has helped to sustain him through a long illness.
Leaving Lake City in 1986, John moved to Gainesville and married Catherine Morsink, a professor and chair at the University of Florida's Department of Special Education. He also embarked on a second career as a retirement consultant serving Columbia and Marion Counties.
During his first year in that position, his performance in the top 20 percent earned him a trip to Switzerland. This experience in international travel was followed by many enjoyable trips to England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark and Germany, as well as cruises to Alaska, Hawaii and the Caribbean.
In 1991, Mr. Knight retired and moved to Slippery Rock, where his wife Catherine had been hired as the university's Dean of the College of Education. He considered his time in Slippery Rock his finest years, often speaking of his pleasure in serving as a “house husband,” becoming a master host to members of the faculty and visiting dignitaries from throughout the world. He also served the community as a Rotarian and as a member of the Butler County Hospice Board. He was known to his Pennsylvania friends as the “Southern Gentleman.”
John and his wife returned to Florida in 1999, where they have lived at Oak Hammock since 2004. He was appreciated by his bridge partners for his determination in mastering the game and becoming a formidable opponent despite increasing visual impairment. He was admired for his resilience by members of the medical profession who helped him recover from numerous life-threatening episodes. He is grateful especially to his primary physician, Dr. Robert Slaton.
John Knight was loved by an extensive group of friends and family members. He was a devoted, caring, supportive husband and father, an honest, responsible leader who always performed with excellence. John had a compliment and a kind word for everyone he met. He will be missed.
KNIGHT — A memorial service for John E. Knight Jr., who died Sunday, June 21, 2015, is planned at Oak Hammock in Gainesville, Fla., on Tuesday, June 30 at 4 p.m.In lieu of flowers, contributions in memory of John's life may be made to support the Catherine V. Morsink and John E. Knight Endowed Scholarship c/o Slippery Rock University Foundation, Inc., 1 Morrow Way, 100 Old Main, Slippery Rock, PA 16057.Please visit John's memorial page at www.williamsthomasfuneralhome.com.Arrangements were handled by the Williams-Thomas Funeral Home, 404 N. Main St. Gainesville, Fla., 352-376-7556.
