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Donald Eugene Knight Obituary

Brought to you by Merchant Memorial Group

Donald Eugene Knight

Clarkston, WA

March 17, 1943 - October 13, 2020

Donald Eugene Knight Obituary

Donnie, Duck, Dad, Papa. It didn’t matter what you called him, he always answered with a smile. He was a hard-working family man with a huge circle of friends and he never met a stranger. This positive soul left us on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020. He may be gone, but he will never be forgotten. He was born Donald Eugene Knight on March 17, 1943, to Ralph “Pete” and Francis (Montgomery) Knight in Orofino. Don attended grade school in Woodland, Idaho. He would often share the story of bundling some hay, strapping it to his horse and riding to the one-room schoolhouse and putting it in the schoolyard barn before the teacher called the students to class. He then attended school in Kooskia and later graduated from Clearwater Valley High School in 1961. Don started working at IdaPine Mill in Harpster and later went to work sawing shakes at Cedar Mill in Stites. He was highly sought after for his skill and speed. He was fast but also safe and never had an incident in all those years, a remarkable feat at the time. In 1965, Don married Janet Remington. They had four children and later divorced. While raising his family, Don held several jobs at local mills in the Kamiah-Kooskia area, and he could run any piece of heavy equipment needed to get the job done. During that time, he was also a volunteer firefighter and a member of the Kamiah JC’s. Later he became a member of the Moose Lodge. He moved his family to Clarkston and started working for Willow Creek Timber. Don finished his working career as a heavy equipment operator at Eko compost in 2012. In 1995, he married Cheryl Leding and gained two more daughters. He loved to camp, fish and hunt. For more than 20 years, he never missed a special family-and-friends gathering on the Tucannon. He spent that time camping, fishing and spending the evenings telling stories. NASCAR was one of his favorite pastimes, and he attended several races in Las Vegas. The Seahawks were his team; he rarely missed watching them play. Don never lost his passion for horses; his favorite was a Morgan named Echo, and we are sure he has her saddled up and is riding once again. Don will be deeply missed by his wife, Cheryl; sisters Shannon Siegel and Sherry (Glenn) Johnson; children Jaqueline (Lyle) Brownsberger, Donald “Dee” (Renee) Knight, Fonda Knight and Anthony Knight; stepdaughters Tereasa (Cary) Edmonson and Melissa (Tim) Lacour; nine grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and his many friends. He was preceded in death by his mother, father and beloved stepmother, Hazel (Falway) Knight. Cremation has taken place, and a memorial will be held at a later date.

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Events

Event information can be found on the Official Obituary of Donald Eugene Knight.