Dr. Frank Sensing McKnight
October 24, 1925 — February 1, 2013
Dr. Frank Sensing McKnight, longtime Somerville Physician, lifelong resident of Fayette County and husband of Patricia McKnight departed this life Friday morning, February 1, 2013 at the Methodist Hospital in Somerville. He was 87 years of age and died following a brief illness.
Services of Remembrance for Dr. McKnight were conducted at 2 P.M. Sunday, February 3rd at the First Presbyterian Church of Somerville. The officiating ministers were Rev. John Michael Krech and Dr. Thomas F. Pickering. Interment followed in the Somerville City Cemetery. Arrangements were provided by Peebles Fayette County Funeral Homes and Cremation Center — Main Chapel of Somerville.
A native of Fayette County, Dr. McKnight was born October 24, 1925. He was preceded in death by his parents, Sam McKnight and Grace Sensing McKnight, early residents of the Gallaway/Braden/Mason areas. He attended grade school in Braden and graduated from Fayette County High School. He served in the Air Corps in World War II and after the war period, attended Southwestern College to study pre-med. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1950 from the University of Tennessee Medical School and interned at the John Gaston Hospital in Memphis.
He was married December 22, 1947 to the former Patricia (Pat) Caldwell of Louisville, Kentucky, who survives. Dr. McKnight began his medical practice at Morris Clinic in Somerville in 1951 and had been active in the community, religious and civic affairs of Fayette County and surrounding areas for many years. During his long career, his responsibilities included serving as Chief of Staff at Methodist Hospital of Fayette County, Medical Director of the Somerville Healthcare Center and Medical Director of the Wilder Youth Development Center. Dr. McKnight also served as Coroner and Medical Examiner of Fayette County for many years before his recent retirement. In 2008, Dr. McKnight and Libby McKnight, as well as other members of the family received much pleasure in the opening of the new McKnight Clinic in Somerville, dedicated to serving the people of Fayette County and surrounding areas with Christian healthcare available for all.
Dr. McKnight had a lifelong love for the outdoors and was an avid sportsman who enjoyed hunting, field trialing and farming. He served as President of the Former First State Bank in Somerville and in 2004 joined the Board of Directors of The Bank of Fayette County. He was a longtime devoted member of the First Presbyterian Church of Somerville where he participated in numerous positions of responsibility that included serving as an Elder and as a Moderator of the Memphis Presbytery.
In earlier years, he was active in the Somerville Junior Chamber of Commerce and the Somerville Rotary Club. He was known for his long relationship and love of field trials, bird dogs, horses and the Ames Plantation. Dr. McKnight participated for many years in the Bird Dog Field Trials and began serving as a Field Trial Judge in 1984 at the Ames Plantation. He also served as President and Director of the National Field Trial Championship Association in past years.
In addition to his wife of 65 years, Dr. McKnight is survived by two daughters, Anne M. Namishia (Richard) of Somerville, Grace M. Corfman (David) of Oakland; his son, Sam C. McKnight (Holly) of Somerville; his brother, Alfred McKnight (Rose Helen) of Berea, KY; four grandchildren, Frank, Laurie, Winnie, Alan; five great grandchildren, Kylie, Blaine, Porter, Hailey, Josi; and his niece, Susan D. Lawler.
Those honored to serve as casketbearers were Frank McKnight II, Alan Keith, Kenneth Goldsby, George Goldsby, Jourdan Rhea and Rick Carlisle.
Honorary casketbearers were Charlie Frank Bryan, Jack Dawson, Rube Rhea, Dr. Jack Bishop, Warren Adams, Dr. Dorwin Hawthorne and Freddie Hensley.
The family requests that memorials be directed to the First Presbyterian Church of Somerville, 12940 S. Main Street, Somerville, TN 38068, Hobart Ames Foundation, P.O. Box 389, Grand Junction, TN 38039 or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.