Horatio Wilbur Knight Obituary (1925

ROCKLAND - Horatio Wilbur Knight, 79, proprietor of Knight Marine Service, died June 3rd, surrounded by his family from complications of Mesothelioma.Born in Rockland, June 20, 1925, he was a son Fred P. and Margaret Bartlett Knight. Educated in Rockland schools, he entered the U.S. Navy at age 17.He served in the Pacific and European Theaters during WWII. After discharge from active duty, he returned to Rockland High School and attended the class of 1945 reunions for many years.Early in his career, he worked five years at Bath Iron Works and later lobstered out of Rockland aboard his vessel "The Hornblower". In 1958, he married Alice MacKay Crie in Rockland. The couple have made their home in Rockland since that time.With his wife and good friends John and Sylvia Ross, he established Rockland's first marina, The Maine Deck Marina & Restaurant, which was located at the site of the former Black Pearl. In 1967, the Knights purchased the M.B. & C.O. Perry Coal Company on Lermond's Cove - next to the Maine State Ferry Terminal - where they established and have since operated Knight Marine Service and Boat Transit. The company was the first mid-coast boatyard to add a Marine Travel Lift to their services. In the 1980s, they added Knight Marine Boat Storage on Limerock Street. In his boatyard operation, Mr. Knight took pride in keeping the yard, equipment and vehicles in immaculate condition.As a collector of cars and trucks, he enjoyed attending truck shows and took great pride in the care of those vehicles.After building the tugboat "Celia", from the keel up, he often used that vessel in association with his business. The "Celia", featured in various marine/nautical publications, was photographed delivering pizza to the "Riga"- a Russian fish-processing vessel - when she anchored off Rockland.Mr. Knight long supported film making in the area, transporting celebrities and equipment throughout the Penobscot Bay region.Since its inception, he was an ardent supporter and volunteer with the Maine Lobster Festival.He enjoyed attending LST 1051 reunions and held membership in that organization.For several years, he has served on the Rockland Port Authority and several terms on the City of Rockland Personnel Board.He was a past member of the Rockland Jaycee's, Kiwanis, and Yacht Clubs, Board of Directors of the Owls Head Transportation Museum and a charter member of the Rockland Historical Society. He held membership in the Winslow-Holbrook-Merritt American Legion Post No. 1, Rockland, and the Maine Obsolete Automobile Association and attended St. Bernard's Catholic Church.For more than 50 years, he enjoyed a close camaraderie with Charles Crockett of Owls Head, the late James Dowling, and in later years Mr. Dowling's son, Jamie.He considered employees at his boatyard as good friends: Jim Ogden of Waldoboro, Chris Wildhaber and George Young of Rockland, Paul Chapman of South Thomaston and his assistant for 28 years, Mary McConnell of Camden.Mr. Knight was pre-deceased by a brother, Sanford Knight, a sister Lolita Knight Couture, a special nephew Roger Drinkwater and his first wife Peggy Packard, mother of their son Charles. He is survived by his wife Alice of Rockland; son Charles F. Knight and his wife Cathy of Birmingham, Alabama; a daughter Celia Knight MacMillan of Rockland; a son Christopher Crie "Sy" Knight and his wife Aine of Owls Head; good friend Trudy Black of South Thomaston, who resided several years with the Knight family; sister-in-law Celia Crie Perry of Rockland; four grandchildren, Erik Miles MacMillan, Christopher Crie Knight, Jr., Christopher Charles Knight, Casey Joy Knight as well as several nieces and nephews.Visiting hours will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., Tuesday, June 7, 2005, at Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, 110 Limerock Street, Rockland. A celebration of Mr. Knight's life will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, at First Baptist Church, 215 Limerock Street, Rockland. The Reverend Gabriel Rogers will officiate with Charlotte Cook as organist. A reception will follow in the church's Family Life Center. Interment with Military Honors will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, June 9, at Achorn Cemetery, Old County Road, Rockland.In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Rockland Historical Society, P.O. Box 1331, Rockland, ME 04841.The Knight family invites those who wish to share a story of Horatio, to do so by visiting the online guestbook, clicking Obituaries at www.bchfh.com. Cards for this purpose will also be available at the funeral home.Please take a moment to visit Horatio's Personal Online Guest Book.