Donald Robert Knight

“We are such stuff

As dreams are made on, and our little life

Is rounded with a sleep.”

- William Shakespeare

Dr. Donald Robert Knight died at his home in Spartanburg on Dec 26, 2025. He was 83 years old. Don was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, on December 9th, 1942, as the first child of Robert and Helen (Leslie) Knight. Bob’s work with the Manhattan Project soon relocated the family to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, where Don spent the rest of his childhood.

Don earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English from Tennessee Wesleyan University. In 1968, he was hired to teach at the brand-new University of South Carolina Spartanburg (now USC Upstate). He earned his Ph.D. in English from the University of South Carolina in 1982 and spent 52 years teaching English literature to a diverse body of students, who often praised his wit, kind heart, and passion for his subject. His academic interests ranged from 19th century British literature to Stephen King and Hollywood adventure movies, and he especially enjoyed presenting his work at the Popular Culture Association’s annual conference. Over the years he served as chair of the Languages, Literature and Communications department as well as director of the Interdisciplinary Studies Program. He officially retired in 2006 but continued to teach as a distinguished emeritus professor until 2020.

Don had a way with words, from storytelling to poetry to jokes at the dinner table. He was also a talented singer and musician and appreciated good music from a wide range of genres. He sang in the choir at Tennessee Wesleyan and played the baritone. In recent years he had found a creative outlet in the Central United Methodist choir. Don was renowned as an excellent cook; his pies, in particular, were works of art. He was a skilled home handyman and left his mark in the Hampton Heights neighborhood, where he owned and restored several historic homes over the years. He also appreciated a classic car, a fine bourbon, and a good dog.

He married the love of his life, Mary Croley Knight, in 2014. They had many adventures together, traveling all over the US and Europe in planes, trains, automobiles, and even a camper.

Don will be remembered as a devoted father to Molly Knight (Jon Smart) and to Mary’s children Gabriel Smith (Courtney Lowe), Ginny Smith, Crista Hall (Larry Boye), and John Hall (Bethany); as well as a loving grandfather to Arianna, Emiliana, and Freya Smart, Jackson Boye, Ian and Norrie Hall, Benjamin and William Baumgartner, and Marley and Mason Lowe. He is also survived by his sister, Janice Knight Labig. His sons Robert Scott Knight and Daniel Leslie Knight preceded him in death, as did his brother Thomas Leslie Nickelson Knight.

Funeral services will be held at Central United Methodist Church at 3:00 PM on Sunday, January 4, 2026. The family will receive friends prior to the service. A reception will follow after service in the fellowship hall. 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to benefit Don’s beloved chancel choir at Central United Methodist Church in Spartanburg.

“Go now. Our journey is done. And may we meet again, in the clearing, at the end of the path.” – Stephen King