James Kniess
James “Jim” Randall Kniess, 76, of Butler passed away peacefully on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, at Butler Memorial Hospital following an illness.
Born Jan. 4, 1944, in Butler, he was the son of the late Harold and Helen Dietrich Kniess.
He was Presbyterian by faith.
He faithfully served six years with the Army National Guard in the late 1960s.Jim started working at Pullman Standard and then became a life insurance sales agent and worked for Western and Southern and Colonial Life insurance companies with an office in Prospect. He then became a rural mail carrier and retired from the U.S. Postal Service in 2008.He was a lifetime member of the Unionville/Center Township Volunteer Fire Department, where he served as a former president and treasurer.Jim enjoyed friends and family. He was very active in the Center Township Athletic Association, where he volunteered as a coach when his boys were playing.He enjoyed bowling and was on the Lads and Lassies Bowling League and the Butler Businessman League. Along with bowling, his other hobbies were golfing and cheering on the Pittsburgh sports teams, the Steelers, Pirates and Penguins.He is survived by his wife, Sandra Kaye Sutton Kniess, whom he married Aug. 9, 1969; his children, Larry (Tami) Kniess of Slippery Rock, Jeffrey (Denise) Kniess of Butler, and Kevin (Miranda Kelley) Kniess of Butler; 12 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; his mother-in-law, Grace Sutton of Butler; his sisters-in-law, Rosa Kniess Potts of Butler, and Bonnie (John) Foster of Florida; his brother-in-law, Tom Sutton of Butler; and many nieces and nephews.In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Bill Kniess and Harold Kniess.KNIESS — Visitation for James “Jim” Randall Kniess, who died Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, will be held from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Raisley Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 387 Main St., Prospect.The funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday in the funeral home with Pastor Dana Opp officiating.Interment will be in West Sunbury Union Cemetery.Memorial contributions may be made to the Unionville/Center Township Volunteer Fire Department, 102 Mahood Road, Butler PA 16001.For more information or to leave an online tribute, go to www.raisleyfuneralhome.com.
