On September 8, 2025, Benny Ray Knight Sr, of Pascagoula, Mississippi, passed peacefully at the age of 81. Born on September 20, 1943, Benny lived a life full of stories and adventures.

Benny leaves behind a family that he loved:
his sons, Ray Knight (Heather) and Heath Knight. His grandchildren, Zachary Knight (Lovie), Jeremy Knight, and Landon Knight and his great-grandchildren, Kinzey, Quinn, and Baron Knight. Benny's sister, Delores Vinson, who as a child, may or may not have been an accomplice in raiding their father's watermelon patch.

He was preceded in death by his father, Elmer Knight, his mother, Erma Lee Knight (Blackwell), and his brother, Harold Knight.

Benny's life was a grand adventure, starting with his days in Crackers Neck, Mississippi, where he quickly developed a strong dislike for picking cotton. With determination, ambition and a dream, he traded the cotton fields of Jones County for the salty air of the Gulf Coast. However, before that, he served his country with pride in the Air Force at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, earning an honorable discharge in 1964.

In 1965, Benny landed at Ingalls Ship Building as a pipe fitter, where he worked diligently and rose through the ranks until 1978 when he left Ingalls and founded Knight's Piping and Marine. As CEO, he carried the business across the United States from east coast to west coast and across the world with numerous projects in Scotland, Africa and the Middle East. He retired in 2002, returning to country life in the Black Belt region of Wilcox County, Alabama where he stayed busy on various projects around the farm, including developing his deer hunting property.

Benny was never one to mince words, you always knew where you stood. His storytelling was legendary, often punctuated with a sly grin and a twinkle in his eye. When he wasn't entertaining folks with tales, he loved quail hunting, casting a line into the saltwater, diving and spearfishing. A world traveler, Benny saw more corners of the globe than most folks see pages in a book, and he loved every minute of it.

Graveside services will be held on Monday, September 15, 2025, at 3:00 PM at Centerville Baptist Church Cemetery at 995 Centerville Road, Soso, MS, with burial to follow. The services will be officiated by Bro. Jerry Reed, and arrangements are being handled by Ellisville Funeral Home. Pallbearers will include Ray Knight, Zach Knight, Jeremy Knight, Landon Knight, and Steve Mobley.