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Longtime Alpharetta planning commissioner remembered June 15
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| | | Alpharetta Mayor Arthur Letchas reads a plaque commemorating Planning Commissioner Bill McKnight's retirement a few days after his death. McKnight's wife, Diane, and their son. (click for larger version) | |
June 18, 2009
What was to be a ceremony honoring William Douglas "Bill" McKnight on his retirement after serving 14 years as an Alpharetta Planning Commissioner took on a more somber tone as McKnight died just two days before the City Council meeting June 15.
The 67-year-old McKnight's wife, Diane, accepted the honor on his behalf.
Mayor Arthur Letchas presented Diane McKnight with a certificate of appreciation prepared for his retirement from Planning Commission. He thanked McKnight's wife for allowing him the time to serve the city.
"You left Bill with us for so many hours," Letchas said.
The city can't do anything without that kind of volunteer service, he said.
"Well, he loved it. He loved it," Diane McKnight said. "Thank all of you for coming," she said to the 30 or so neighbors, friends and Planning Commissioners who attended the meeting.
Fellow Planning Commissioner Nancy Bristol shared her memories Monday afternoon, which she repeated during the City Council meeting. She said she had been thinking of McKnight all day.
"He was certainly a gentleman in the broadest sense of the word in every way," she said.
Bristol said she had the privilege of sitting next to McKnight during meetings. He gave his full attention to the presentation and to all public input.
Debates in Planning Commission meetings got pretty heated at times. But while McKnight didn't say much, Bristol said "he would be the one 90 percent of the time that would come up with a recommendation that was accepted by all of us."
Bristol was at her doctor's when she saw McKnight and his wife, Diane, at the same office.
"My battle was nothing compared to the battle that he had to go through for a year," Bristol said.
He never failed to ask her how she was doing, giving her comfort when she knew he was in pain – with pain patches and chemotherapy machines attached.
"Yet he never complained," she said.
Mike Tomy, chairman of the Planning Commission, said he joined the board at about the same time as McKnight.
"It was obvious he had a lot of wisdom and knowledge," Tomy said.
One night shortly after the two men joined the commission, McKnight called Tomy, which in itself was a rare thing. McKnight wanted Tomy to be chairman, but Tomy told McKnight he should get the post. So Tomy said they would leave it up to the full commission to decide.
"I learned a lot about politics that week. Because by the time I got to the Planning Commission, it was all over," Tomy said. McKnight had gotten the rest of the commission to back Tomy.
Tomy agreed that McKnight always spoke his mind and didn't mince words.
"Life gives us very few people that you are going to remember. Bill was one of those, and I'm glad to call him friend," Tomy said.
"Bill never hesitated to speak his mind, let all of us know how he felt about a particular issue or situation," said fellow Planning Commissioner Will Gurley when reached Monday afternoon. "He would take a position and go with it. He didn't always wait to see which way the wind was going to blow."
Whether they agreed or disagreed, they always walked away friends after the fact, he said.
"He didn't ever carry stuff away from the meeting," Gurley said.
 View images. William 'Bill' McKnight
William Douglas "Bill" McKnight, age 67, of Alpharetta, passed away Saturday, June 13, 2009 at Peachtree Christian Hospice, Duluth.
A memorial service will be held at First Redeemer Church, 2100 Peachtree Parkway, Cumming, on Saturday, June 27, at 1 p.m., with the Rev. Mike Schmid officiating.
The family will receive friends in the church lobby one hour prior to the service.
Bill is survived by his devoted wife of 47 years, Dianne Ealy McKnight; sons and daughters in law, David and Shannon McKnight; and Michael and Kim McKnight; five grandchildren, Chase, Greer, Cade, Morgan and Conner; sister and brother in law, Jean and Lewis Reeves; sister, Diane McKnight and several nieces and nephews.
Bill received his B.S. degree from the University of Georgia and was a realtor with ERA Sunrise Realty at the time of his death. He was an active member of First Redeemer Church and the Joyful Hearts Sunday School class. He was a member of the Alpharetta Planning Commission for 14 years, on the Board of WCSA, member of W.A.R.M. and an active member and resident of the Windward Community in Alpharetta.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, www.pancan.org.
Alpharetta-SouthCare Funeral Home in Alpharetta is in charge of arrangements.
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