Obituary for Ralph "Dixon" Knight
Ralph Dixon Knight, age 75, a longtime resident of North Chelmsford and formerly of Wilmington, passed away unexpectedly on Monday, July 2, 2018, from injuries sustained in a motor vehicle accident. He was the beloved husband for more than 50 years of Leone "Bunny" (Munroe) Knight.
He was born in Cambridge on April 11, 1943 and was a son of the late Ralph and Lorraine (Smith) Knight.
Dixon was a proud veteran of the United States Navy, having served during the Vietnam War.
He was a graduate of Wilmington High School and Lowell Technical College, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering. Dixon went on to earn a Master's Degree in Engineering from RPI and an MBA from the University of Hartford. During his career, he was employed by Bard, Charles River Laboratories, Nabisco, and Combustion Engineering before retiring from the Town of Andover Engineering Department.
Dixon was an avid reader who also enjoyed gardening and walking at Hampton Beach. He was happiest when he was spending time with his family, particularly his granddaughters.
Dixon enjoyed fishing with his son, Greg, and spent many years chasing “the big one”. He was the biggest fan at all of his granddaughters’ sporting events, and became a fixture at the softball field, the track, the pool, and the high school gym. He was deeply moved by his experiences cheering on athletes, including his
youngest granddaughter, at Special Olympics events. He enjoyed traveling and he and Bunny had many years of adventures with their beloved travel buddies, Frank and Moe. His sisters-in-law, Mary Nihan, Geraldine McPhillips, and Barbara Pickering, considered him a brother and have many happy memories of shared holidays and vacations. He was Uncle Dixon to many devoted and cherished nieces and nephews, and he was the go-to person for information and how-to advice for family and friends alike.
In addition to his loving wife, Dixon is survived by a son, Greg Knight and his wife Barbara of Chelmsford, a daughter, Barbara Didona and her husband Kevin of North Chelmsford, and five granddaughters; Jessica, Olivia, Paige, Bridget, and Natalie. He also leaves two brothers, Ronnie Knight and his wife Zona of
Greenville, S.C., and David Knight and his wife Cam of Danville, NH. He was predeceased by his brother Cliff Knight and his brother-in-law George Munroe.
A Memorial Visitation will be held on Saturday, July 14, from 4 to 7 pm at the BLAKE CHELMSFORD FUNERAL HOME, 24 Worthen St., CHELMSFORD.
Funeral Services and interment in Tyngsboro Memorial Cemetery will be held privately.
For those who desire, memorial donations may be made to Special Olympics of MA (specialolympicsma.org).
He was born in Cambridge on April 11, 1943 and was a son of the late Ralph and Lorraine (Smith) Knight.
Dixon was a proud veteran of the United States Navy, having served during the Vietnam War.
He was a graduate of Wilmington High School and Lowell Technical College, where he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Engineering. Dixon went on to earn a Master's Degree in Engineering from RPI and an MBA from the University of Hartford. During his career, he was employed by Bard, Charles River Laboratories, Nabisco, and Combustion Engineering before retiring from the Town of Andover Engineering Department.
Dixon was an avid reader who also enjoyed gardening and walking at Hampton Beach. He was happiest when he was spending time with his family, particularly his granddaughters.
Dixon enjoyed fishing with his son, Greg, and spent many years chasing “the big one”. He was the biggest fan at all of his granddaughters’ sporting events, and became a fixture at the softball field, the track, the pool, and the high school gym. He was deeply moved by his experiences cheering on athletes, including his
youngest granddaughter, at Special Olympics events. He enjoyed traveling and he and Bunny had many years of adventures with their beloved travel buddies, Frank and Moe. His sisters-in-law, Mary Nihan, Geraldine McPhillips, and Barbara Pickering, considered him a brother and have many happy memories of shared holidays and vacations. He was Uncle Dixon to many devoted and cherished nieces and nephews, and he was the go-to person for information and how-to advice for family and friends alike.
In addition to his loving wife, Dixon is survived by a son, Greg Knight and his wife Barbara of Chelmsford, a daughter, Barbara Didona and her husband Kevin of North Chelmsford, and five granddaughters; Jessica, Olivia, Paige, Bridget, and Natalie. He also leaves two brothers, Ronnie Knight and his wife Zona of
Greenville, S.C., and David Knight and his wife Cam of Danville, NH. He was predeceased by his brother Cliff Knight and his brother-in-law George Munroe.
A Memorial Visitation will be held on Saturday, July 14, from 4 to 7 pm at the BLAKE CHELMSFORD FUNERAL HOME, 24 Worthen St., CHELMSFORD.
Funeral Services and interment in Tyngsboro Memorial Cemetery will be held privately.
For those who desire, memorial donations may be made to Special Olympics of MA (specialolympicsma.org).