Marinelle (Mann) Knight

Marinelle (Mann) Knight January 16, 1930 - August 8, 2025 Marinelle Mann Knight, affectionately known as "Sweet Mama," passed away peacefully in the early morning of Aug. 8, 2025, at the age of 95 in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Marinelle was born on Jan. 16, 1930, in Jacksboro, Texas, on one of the coldest days in Texas history. She was the youngest of six and raised on a dairy farm in her hometown. The day after she graduated high school, Marinelle took a bus to Lubbock to help her sister Nancy with her two young children. At age 18, she moved to Dallas and started her first job as a secretary at Dallas Power & Light. At age 20, she moved to Joplin, Missouri, where she met and married Frank Richard "Dick" Knight. Between 1952 and 1962, the young couple moved several times across the country and had five children. Their last move together landed them in Florida, where she worked at Burroughs Corporation until it closed in 1986. At age 56, Marinelle started a new life in Arkansas while helping her daughter, Dixie Knight, start her business. After four years, she made the move back to Dallas to be close to her mother, siblings and daughter, Karen. During this time, she worked for the American Heart Association until she retired at the age of 70. In 2005, she settled back in Florida surrounded by family, friends, and her grand dogs. She spent the last 8 years living at The Horizon Club where she was quick to meet new friends and welcome everyone she met. She spent her days socializing, keeping up with world news, writing stories about her life, and playing dominoes and bridge. She was known for her kindness, quick wit, sharp mind, and telling it like it was - always with that sweet southern drawl and a beautiful infectious smile. She will be forever missed by her blessed family and friends. Marinelle was predeceased by her parents, her siblings, and her daughter, Dixie. She is survived by four children: oldest daughter, Karen Bowman, sons Richard and Dane Knight, youngest daughter, Mae and Mae's husband, Jonathan Weeks. She is also survived by seven grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren. Memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on March 7, 2026, at NorthPark Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas, with a reception in the Fellowship Hall. Burial will take place the following day at Oakwood Cemetery in her hometown of Jacksboro, Texas.