Gary Wayne Knight

Gary Wayne Knight, 84, slipped the surly bonds of Earth on September 26, 2024 and was embraced by his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Born September 11, 1940 in Grand Saline, Texas to Odie Shelton Knight and Edna Lee Moody Knight, Gary was one of a generation of little boys whose mothers idolized Gary Cooper and John Wayne. Odie Knight was a rural mail carrier and professional photographer, responsible for all the school pictures in Grand Saline. Edna Lee, a beloved nurse at the local hospital, assisted her husband in his photography studio by adding color to the black and white photos. As an only child Gary spent a carefree youth enjoying the love and attention of his parents and grandparents in rural East Texas. He attended both the Nazarene and Methodist churches as a child. After graduating from Grand Saline High School, Gary attended Tyler Junior College, the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas Medical Branch for Medical Technology and Laboratory Science. Moving back to Austin, he worked in the labs of Brackenridge and Holy Cross Hospitals.
While working at Brackenridge, he met Nancy Lynne McCrady, whom he married in 1966. They welcomed Eric Wayne in 1972 and Margaret Suzanne in 1976. Gary and Nancy moved frequently during their marriage, living in Austin, Louisville (KY), Hobbs (NM) and College Station (TX). Divorcing in 1979, Gary became a single parent and his mother stepped in to help care for his children. Gary’s mother took the children to Grand Saline for 2 years when Gary moved to Stephenville and then Luling where he worked as the hospital administrator. The children and Edna Lee moved to Martindale to reunite with Gary when he took a job in the lab at Central Texas Medical Center in San Marcos. Gary remained at CTMC for over 38 years, retiring in 2020, the day before the hospital sold to Christus Santa Rosa.
In 1991 Gary married Judy Kay Alexander and became a step-father to Judy’s grown children, Robin and Rodney. Gary and Judy built a beautiful home in McMahan and started an antiques and collectible business in Lockhart. Their marriage ended in 2004.
In the fall of 2004 Gary met Lucy Fielder at the Baker Theatre. He told the friend he was with that evening that he wanted to get to know Lucy, but he needed to “let the dust settle for a while” before he started anything new! The friend chatted Lucy up, got her business card and a year later on their first date, Gary showed Lucy the card he had kept in his wallet all that time. Gary and Lucy married April 19, 2008 at Emmanuel Episcopal Church. Several years later, Gary was confirmed into the Episcopal Church. For almost 19 years they celebrated their life together and enjoyed traveling extensively with old friends and new friends.
As a younger man Gary enjoyed participating in civil war reenactments and appeared as artillery personnel in two movies: Glory and Alamo: The Price of Freedom. Gary was a collector of everything; he could never dispose of his treasures; although some – including Lucy – called it hoarding rather than collecting! Gary loved meeting people – he never met a stranger; he loved trains; he was fascinated by all aspects of photography; he loved his children; as GDad, he adored his grandchildren; he relished Longhorn football; he loved ringing the bell at church every Sunday morning with the little ones helping him and he believed that Big Bend and The Rockpile were heaven on earth.
Gary was predeceased by his father in 1978, his mother in 1985, his infant sister, Doris Jean, in 1944 and his first wife Nancy Jesse just 3 days prior to his own death. He is survived by his wife, Lucy Weller Knight of Lockhart; his son and daughter-in-law, Eric Wayne and Terry Lynn Knight of Lubbock; his daughter, Margaret Suzanne Knight of Lockhart; his grandchildren, Peyton Wayne Knight of Sherman and Sutton Lynn Knight of Lubbock; his step-daughter, Frances Elizabeth Fielder of Phoenix, AZ and his furry feline buddy, Cheeto.
A Celebration of Life for Gary Wayne Knight will be held November 2, 2024 at 10:00 am at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, 118 N. Church St., Lockhart, TX 78644. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to the Emmanuel Episcopal Church Garden Fund, Ceiling Fund or Memorial Fund or to a charity of your choice.