Lewis Thompson Knight(1923 - 2014)
Knight, Lewis Thompson Born May 17, 1923 in Princeton, Arkansas, he passed to his eternal home August 17, 2014 in Houston, TX. Preceded in death by his son, Gregg Billingsley Knight; his grandson, John Knight Billingsley; his mother, Nora Thompson Knight; his father, Felix D. Knight, Sr; his brothers, F. D. Knight, Jr., William D. Knight, J. Ronald Knight and Dr. L. Roger Knight. He is survived by his wife, Clara Beth; his daughter, Nancy Billingsley Calvert and her husband, Michael R. Calvert of Houston, TX; his son, Jeffrey D. Knight and his wife, Julie of Bentonville, Arkansas. Mr. Knight had six living grandchildren, David M. Billingsley of San Antonio, Jeffrey M. Calvert and his wife, Mia of Sugar Land, TX, Holly Calvert Evans and her husband, Jason R. Evans of Atascadero, California, Wade L. Calvert and his wife, Courtney of Houston, TX, Madeline Knight and Caroline Knight of Bentonville, Arkansas. Mr. Knight had seven great-grandchildren, Reese M. Evans, Carly Evans, Tanner D. Evans, Peyton W. Calvert, Emily Calvert, Lainey Calvert and Charley Kate Calvert. Lewis T. Knight spent his early life living in many small towns in Arkansas, but home was Little Rock from 1936 until his father died in 1985. The family worshipped first at 4th & State Church of Christ, which later became Pulaski Heights and is now Pleasant Valley Church of Christ. After graduating from Little Rock Senior (now Central) High School, in May of 1941, Lewis was inducted into the U.S. Army January 7, 1943 at Camp Robinson. Arkansas. Daddy "shipped out" of San Francisco under the Golden Gate Bridge in August for Guadalcanal and shared with us his thoughts "I wonder if I will ever see that bridge again." He served in Hospital Admitting, "With my trusty typewriter, no gun." Then came a stroke of luck when at the urging of his Captain he applied for Officer Candidate School which was to have led to six weeks training in New Zealand, and 2nd Lieutenant bars, while in charge of a battalion aid station behind the front lines of combat in Okinawa. But instead a second stroke of good fortune sent him to Carlisle Barracks, Carlisle, Pennsylvania instead. Daddy was discharged honorably in 1946. He received an Associate Degree from Little Rock Junior College in January 1948 and then began a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting at Abilene Christian College graduating Cum Laude in May 1949. He and Clara Beth met and married May 31, 1949 while attending college and would later see their children and their grandchildren attend Abilene Christian University as well. They would reside in Arkansas until their first child was born then moving to Oregon to begin a ten year career with Billingsley-Huggins Insurance first in Myrtle Point, later Knight-Huggins in Coquille. In 1961 the family moved back to Little Rock for fourteen months before being transferred to Dallas, Texas with Safeco Insurance. In 1966 Lewis was hired by Houseman and Company Insurance where he would become a Partner-Casualty Specialist. Later the company would be bought out by Marsh & McLennan Corporation where he would remain until his retirement. He was a member of the Society of Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters. Lewis also served his university as the Alumni Association President in the early 1980's. But his first love was his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He came from a strong family legacy of faith and duty. Together with our mother he modeled the Christian walk - never for a moment pretending that anything mattered more than a life lived for the Lord. They helped establish the Church of Christ in Coquille, Oregon with many wonderful families, some of whom had also moved to Oregon from Texas. Later in Dallas he would serve as an Elder with the Garland Road Church of Christ and would help to found the Christian Care Center in Mesquite, Texas. He would not want to be remembered as a perfect man, far from it, he knew his shortcomings and often regretted having not been a less strident taskmaster. But our Daddy never put himself ahead of anyone. He saw himself as a servant who was happy to serve. We believe his finest hour was following the birth of their third child, Gregg, who was born in August 1962 profoundly brain-damaged. Gregg would spend his entire 23 years in a baby bed. Only because our parents did not want to risk my brother and myself being left to care for Gregg should anything happen to them, did they make the decision to institutionalize him at age 18, their last chance to do so in the State of Texas. A most difficult decision where so many heart-breaking children would be seen in various stages of disability and deformity, each Saturday he would go to bathe and feed our brother in the hope that those who worked there would give him even better care for knowing he was coming. It thrills our hearts to think of Daddy's sweet reunion with Gregg, talking to him for the very first time in that Heavenly City. We feel very blessed to have had him be our Daddy. Family will receive friends at 1pm on Wednesday August 20, 2014 at the Saturn Road Church of Christ in Garland, Texas. Services will be held at 2 pm with burial after at Restland Cemetery in Dallas. In Lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Lewis Thompson and Clara Beth Billingsley Knight Scholarship Fund, C/O Abilene Christian University PO Box 29132 Abilene, TX 79699.
Funeral Home
Restland Funeral Home
13005 Greenville Avenue Dallas, TX 75243
(972) 238-7111
Published in Dallas Morning News on Aug. 19, 2014