Leslie "Les" Knight

Leslie "Les" Knight of Tallmadge, Ohio, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on January 27, 2023.  Les was born in Kossuth, Pennsylvania, on June 13, 1936.  He graduated from White Memorial High School in Knox, PA, in 1954 and from Grove City College in 1958.  While at Grove City he met his wife, Carol.  They were married in the college chapel on August 8, 1959.

Following their marriage, they moved to Columbia, S.C. where Les served in the U.S. Army at Fort Jackson for two years.  Following completion of his military service, Les accepted a job as an accountant with Firestone Tire & Rubber Co. in Akron, Ohio.   They moved to Tallmadge, Ohio, in 1963, and there raised their family.  Les retired from Firestone in 1984.

In his retirement years, Les was active as a volunteer in the Tallmadge Library Association and the Firestone Credit Union.  He was a member of the Chapel in Akron, the Tallmadge Republican Club, and the Gardeners of Greater Akron.   He and Carol enjoyed hiking the Summit County Metro Park Trails each fall and walking the track at the Tallmadge Recreation Center.

Les was preceded in death by his parents, Howard and Esther Knight; two sisters-in-law, Carol A. Knight and Jean A. Armstrong.

Les is survived by his wife of 63 years, Carol; daughter, Susan Nicklas of Tallmadge; son, David Knight of Akron; four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.  Also sisters, Nancy Bickel (Robert) of Maryland, Brenda Hawkins (Tom) of Florida; two brothers, Donald M. Knight (Florida); and Frederick M. Knight (Jackie) of Texas.

Visitation will be Thursday, February 2, 2023, from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Donovan Funeral Home, 17 Southwest Ave., Tallmadge, Ohio.

A funeral service will be held Friday, February 3, 2023 at 11 a.m., at the Chapel, 135 Fir Hill, in Akron.

Donations may be made in Les's memory to the Chapel, 135 Fir Hill, Akron, OH; the Gardeners of Greater Akron Endowment Fund; or to a charity of your choice.

The Chapel at Fir Hill
135 Fir Hill, Akron, OH 44304