Sidney McKnight

Kansas City lost a true lover and preserver of the prairies with the passing of Sid McKnight, Jr. on December 16th.  Nature and the out-of-doors were just two of his many passions.  Sid had a joy for life and pursued many interests with keen focus and contagious energy.  His chosen profession was dentistry, becoming the first periodontist in Johnson County.  His love for dentistry was exceeded only by the devoted care he gave his patients.

In his leisure time, Sid enjoyed training his hunting dogs and taking them afield.  In the summer his interest turned to fishing the waters of Lake Michigan on his boat OKAY SEA.  When not fishing he golfed with buddies at Lincoln Hills in Michigan and Mission Hills Country Club in K.C.  Gathering on the first tee with a new joke was a high point of the day.  Sid’s love of music, especially jazz, consumed his high school and college years.  He played drums in bands and ensembles.  That love never died:  In his early seventies he attended an adult jazz camp in Vermont just to see if he still had his “chops”.  A loyal Jayhawk, he attended all the home games until mobility issues ensued.  Then he took pleasure in sending friends and family to enjoy his seats in Allen Fieldhouse.

His retirement job came out of his appreciation of nature. He was invited to serve on the board of the Kansas Nature Conservancy and ultimately served as its chairman.  When Sid married his high school sweetheart, the former Carole Popham, in 1962, he could not have imagined creating a country home on never-plowed prairie where merely looking out the window was  an adventure.  As he would often say to Carole, “We are living in the Discovery channel!”  Holidays were shared there with their children Allison Kramer (Michael)  and Sid III (Abbie) and their grandchildren Evan Chen (Louis), Noah, Eli, and Mia Kramer, and Sam and Duncan McKnight.

Sid was born in Tyler, Texas, on December 20, 1940, and was just a week shy of his 79th birthday when he passed away peacefully.  The family extends profound thanks to Kono Garba and Eli Kerek for their care and assistance this last year. In lieu of flowers, please consider contributions to the Kansas Nature Conservancy, 2420 NW Button Rd, Topeka, KS 66618; UMKC Conservatory Jazz Studies, 4949 Cherry St., KC, MO 64110; or a charity of your choice.  A memorial service will be held at 3:00 P.M., Sat., Dec. 21st at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 6401 Wornall Rd, KC, MO 64113.