Joseph William Knox

Our father, Joseph William Knox of Benson, Arizona passed away on May 29, 2024, at the age of 98. He had a full life, mostly engaged in pursuits he valued and enjoyed with family and friends. Joseph was born in Salt Lake, Utah on February 2, 1926. He spent his primary years in Myton, Utah with his parents Delta and Raymond, grandmother Zelma and uncle William. The family moved to Los Angeles when Joseph was 8. In his teen years, he hung out with his uncle William repairing radios, tinkering in auto repair, and began learning the machinist shop trade. He was very young when he became a manager in a Los Angeles machine shop. After high school graduation, Joseph joined the U.S. Navy, met and married his wife, Jeanne in Chicago during Navy training and went on to serve in the Pacific until 1946. After he left the service, Joseph moved his wife and baby daughter to Los Angeles, and with his uncle, built a house for his young family as he worked as a radio/television repairman and an auto repairman at the famous Felix Chevrolet. In post-war Los Angeles, those were sought after jobs.  In the mid 1950’s he started working for Pacific Bell Phone Company (years later, AT&T) until retirement. In 1980, Joseph bought property and moved to Benson, Arizona with his second wife. The first structure he built on his land was a large workshop where over the years, attending many auctions, he assembled a vast array of machinery, large equipment, building materials and anything a person would need to invent, build, tinker, and spend one’s retirement being a serious “DIY” enthusiast. Joe impressed his neighbors with his inventive skills and generosity of time in helping them with various projects. He was affectionately bestowed the name “Pappy” by his Benson “family and friends.” Joseph is survived by daughters Nikki and Lorrae; grand and great-grandchildren, Andrew, Amber, Zachary, Megan, and Sebastian; and his close, furry buddy and beloved pet, Della.

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