Chris Knights

Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Chris Knights

Christopher "Chris" John Knights, 49, of Mountain Home, died Saturday, Oct. 13, 2007, at a Boise care center.

A memorial graveside service will be held at 1 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 5, at the Idaho Veterans Cemetery. Cremation was under the direction of Rost Funeral Home, McMurtrey Chapel.

Chris was born on July 14, 1958, in Boston, Mass., the youngest of five children born to Harry and Betty Knights. Chris grew up and went to school in Randolph and East Bridgewater, Mass.

In 1975, Chris joined the Air Force and was stationed both stateside and overseas.

In 1979 Chris met his future wife, Heidi, in Germany. After only a few weeks of dating he asked her to marry him. "Chris called Heidi the love of his life and Heidi called Chris the love of her life," the family said. They were married on April 20, 1981, in Florida. In March of 1982, their son, Travis, was born at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. In December 1982 the Air Force sent the family to Germany and in September 1984 their second son, Charles, was born in Landstuhl, Germany, which completed their family.

While he was stationed in Germany Chris made many friends. Most of them shared his passion for hunting and still remain friends today, his family said.

After several extended tours with the military in Germany, the family moved back to the United States. In 1991 they moved to Loring Air Force Base in Maine where the whole family started a passion for ice fishing. They remained there until the base closed in 1994.

In May 1994 they moved to Mountain Home where Chris was stationed. Since then they called Mountain Home their home.

In 1996, Chris retired from the Air Force and became a full-time student at Boise State University and finished his degrees. He earned a Bachelors Degree in Electronic Engineering and Business Administration, and an Associates Degree in Logistics. He worked briefly for the State of Idaho at the Department of Communication as a supervisor until an illness forced him to stop working.

Chris loved hunting, fishing and the whole outdoors, his family noted. "In the last couple of years he spent most of his time inside reading, watching TV or visiting with friends. The illness that took over his body didn't leave him with much to do. Chris loved his family and was always ready to do everything for them, but his illness left him hardly any strength."

Chris is survived by: his wife, Heidi Knights of Mountain Home; his son, Travis, of Florida; his son, Charles, of Mountain Home; his brother, James, and his wife, Dorothy, of Pennsylvania; his brother, Harry, and his wife, Christine, of Tennessee; his sister, Mary, of Indianapolis; his sister, Janice of Florida, and one grandchild.

Chris was preceded in death by both his parents and two infant brothers.