Frederick (Rick) Knight

Frederick (Rick) Knight, 77, passed away peacefully surrounded by his family on September 22, 2023.  Rick was born on January 25, 1946, in Akron, Ohio, to the late John and Mary (Cappuccilli) Knight.  On July 26, 1980, he married his loving wife of 43 years, Patricia.

Rick was a United States Army Veteran, serving in the Vietnam War.  He was an intelligent man.  He managed the IT Department at the C.J. Krehbiel Company until he retired in 2015.  He was a private pilot who flew thousands of hours and taught hundreds of students; he was a talented mechanic; had advanced astronomy knowledge; he loved motorcycles and shared a love of horses with his daughter, Laura, and missed his horse, Arrow, when it came time to stop riding. Rick also loved completing his daily crossword puzzles, building websites, watching westerns on TV and going for daily walks with loyal dog, Daisy, who was always by his side. 

After retirement, Rick proudly volunteered over 2,000 hours at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton – this decision was easily recognized after sharing his love of planes and history with his grandsons on a visit to the museum.  He was proud of his Italian and Irish heritage, and rejoined the Italian Club in his hometown of Cuyahoga Falls with son, John, and daughter, Christina, in 2021.   Although his confidence could be intimidating, there was not a single person who did not enjoy having conversations with Rick and absorbing all of the knowledge and stories he had to offer.  He will deeply missed by all who knew him. 

Rick is survived by his wife, Patricia (Domer) Knight and his children, Frederick, Christina (Jeffry) Miner, Angela (Charles) Tuerck, John, Laura, and Michael.  Rick is the adored grandfather of Patricia, Stephen, Carissa, Samuel, Kyle and Nathaniel, who say the voice of their grandfather is unforgettable.  He was the great grandfather of Patty, Dominic and Annabelle and proud uncle of Matthew, Mark and Heather.  Rick was preceded in death by his brother, Jon Knight.

A graveside service with full military honors was held at Dayton National Cemetery, where visitors may go to pay their respects.