Rolland Carl Knight (1928-2014)
KNIGHT, CULLEN
Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 10/25/2014 at 13:12:26
Obituary From Adams Soderstrum Funeral Home, Story County, Iowa.
Rolland Carl Knight, son of Harry H. Knight and Jessie May Knight, was born in Ames, Iowa at Mary Greeley Memorial Hospital, August 4, 1928, with the new doctor in town, Dr. G.E. “Earnie” McFarland presiding. Rollie passed away peacefully and unexpectedly the morning of October 4, 2014. The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Adams Funeral Home in Ames. Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, at Adams Funeral Home. Burial will be in the Iowa State Cemetery.
He grew up in Ames, attending Central Junior High, graduating in the Class of ’46, winners of Iowa Boys’ Basketball tournament under Coach Ole Tiller. Rollie was Center on the Ames High Football team, recently featured in the Ames TRIBUNE “ALL-AMES 40 YEAR FOOTBALL TEAM” selected as Center on the 1930-1969 team, coached by Kenny Wells. Rollie set a Drake Relays High Jump record when he ran in Ames High Track and Field, coached by Hi Covey, and was inducted into the Ames High Athletic Hall of Fame in 1994.
Then Iowa State College, Rolland was active in R.O.T.C., Pershing Rifles, and Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, where his work won the Harvard Trophy for the Iowa Gamma Chapter. Upon graduating from Iowa State, Rolland enlisted in the United States Army, where he graduated from The Artillery School at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, attaining the Rank of Major in Field Artillery during the period of the Korean War and later in the U.S. Army Reserves.
At Iowa State University he was a professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department, later serving as Assistant to the Dean of Engineering as the Classification Officer and President of the Iowa State University Athletic Council. During that time negotiations were made to resume the interstate football rivalry between the University of Iowa and Iowa State University. After retirement, he enjoyed playing as much golf as possible, began the hobby of studying the history and collecting clubs and memorabilia. He is a longtime member of the Golf Collectors Society. He is our hero, and we will miss him!
Rolland is survived by his wife of 56 years, Patricia, son Robert Carl (Wendy Anne) two granddaughters, Samantha and Jenna; daughter Kathranne, (Matt Cullen), granddaughter Henrietta Joy Cullen; and his faithful Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Luckey.
Rollie was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Harold.
Memorials may be addressed to the Story County Animal Shelter, William Bliss Cancer Center or Ames High School.
Cemetery Details
Iowa State University Cemetery
Pammel Drive
Ames, IA, 50010
http://www.adamssoderstrum.com/
Story Obituaries maintained by Mark Christian.
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