City of Yuma officials announced Sunday that Councilmember Gary Knight has passed away.
Officials said Knight passed away at 11:37 a.m. Sunday in the company of his family while at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix. City leaders have asked that privacy be upheld for the Knight family at this time.
This past Wednesday, officials said Knight experienced a stroke and was transported to Phoenix. The medical emergency happened as he was at a networking session with a water technology delegation from Israel at the Arizona Western College main campus in Yuma.
Knight was first transported from AWC to Yuma Regional Medical Center and then transported to the Banner hospital in Phoenix where he underwent surgery.
Knight was in his third term with the Yuma City Council. He was elected to his first term on the council in 2013 and re-elected in 2017 and 2022. He served as Deputy Mayor from 2017 through 2019.
In a released statement on behalf of the council, Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls said "We are deeply saddened by the loss of Councilmember Knight and extend our most heartfelt condolences to his family. It was an honor to serve alongside Gary Knight and he will be remembered for his tenacious dedication to improving our community for all Yumans."
Information on services for Knight is not yet available. He is survived by his wife and former 6th grade schoolmate Bonnie, son Kevin (Cana), daughter Melissa (Gerry) and four grandchildren.
According to his biography on the Yuma city website, Knight was born and raised in Yuma, graduated from Kofa High School in 1965 and attended AWC where he obtained an AA business degree in 1967.
Knight served six years in the U.S. Navy where he was an electronics technician for the repair of shipboard communication and radar equipment. He received an honorable discharge in 1974 and returned home to Yuma. Knight took a job with a local boat dealership Davidson Marine Supply where he became manager then owner. He sold the business in 2006 and continued to work as a consultant until his retirement in 2009.
Officials said Knight served on the executive boards of the Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization and the Greater Yuma Port Authority.
Knight was chairman of the State Transportation Board and worked on multiple projects to boost Yuma’s roadway infrastructure. He also represented the city on both the Chamber transportation and legislative affairs committees.
In his free time, city officials said he enjoyed the Yuma outdoors spending his free time trap shooting, bass fishing and golfing.
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Stay tuned to KAWC for more information as it becomes available.
