Published: June 30, 2009 11:22 am      

David C. Knighton

The Rev. David C. Knighton, 73, of McAlester, died Thursday, June 25, 2009, in Tulsa.

Wake services will be from, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday at East Star Baptist Church in McAlester.

Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at First Baptist Church in Holdenville with Pastor Don Dumas officiating. Burial will be at Shiloh Cemetery in Holdenville. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Chaney-Harkins Funeral Home of McAlester.

Born April 5, 1936, in Holdenville, he was the son of the Rev. David A and Lorene Olden-Knighton. He received Jesus Christ as a youth and was baptized at Shiloh Baptist Church. He graduated from Lincoln High School in Holdenville.

After high school he joined the United States Army. He later attended and received his bachelor of science in theology from Bishop College

He served 21 years in the U.S. Army and retired as chief warrant officer 4 at Fort Sill. His military tours included Guam, Korea and two tours in Vietnam. He received several military awards during his military career. He served in the artillery and meteorology units.

He was quite an entrepreneur. Upon retirement from the military, he operated a successful home remodeling service, as well as a restaurant business. He enjoyed cooking, fishing and his culinary specialty was making Italian crème cakes.

He accepted his call to the ministry of Jesus Christ in Lawton at Friendship Baptist Church under the ministry of the Rev. L.C. Emery. He later accepted the pastoral ministry at East Star Baptist Church where he served as pastor for the last 31 years.

He loved people and he would help anybody. He was an inspiration not only to his church, but to the whole community of McAlester. His ministry extended outside East Star Baptist Church to other community organizations.

He was an honorary member of the Pittsburg County Holiday Commission where he used his culinary skills for the annual Martin Luther King Jr. community banquet. He served on the McAlester Ministers Alliance for many years. He helped organize Volunteers in Corrections. He served as the moderator of the Collate District with the Baptist community, along with many other ministry achievements. As moderator, he was responsible for 12 to 15 churches. He was a state and national leader in the Baptist community. He was a mentor to many young ministers who are still preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Survivors include his wife, Gretta, of the home; one son, Reginald A. Knighton (Sharron), of Seminole; one daughter, Lana B. Knighton, of Oklahoma City; one stepdaughter, Sharla Bailey (Jason), Mukilteo, Wash.; one stepson, Dewayne Butler, of Oklahoma City.

Also, four sisters, Thelma (Donald) Fleming, of Midwest City, Joyce (Morris) Griffin, of Oklahoma City, Marva Eddington, of Midwest City, and Barbara (Leroy) Brown, of Midwest City; two brothers, John Knighton, Atlanta, and Rickey (Joni) Knighton, San Antonio.

And, five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; numerous friends and relatives; mother-in-law, Shirley Gray, of Oklahoma City; brothers-in-law, Ricky Poole (Rose), of Edmond, and Gary Poole (Angela), of Tishomingo; sisters-in-law, Lenore (Dave) Brown, Wichita, Kans., Dianna Poole, of Oklahoma City, and Alice Arnold, of Midwest City, and special sons in the ministry include Dennis Randall, Robert Maddox, Cecil Lee and others.

He was preceded in death by his father, the Rev. David A. Knighton; mother, Lorene Olden-Knighton; sister, Margie Lee Knighton; twin brothers; brother Billy Ray Knighton, and one grandson, Jerome Dugar III.