DeLoss "Mac" McKnight

DeLoss "Mac" McKnight, 68, passed away peacefully surrounded by family on March 25, 2026. He was born October 17, 1957 in Wynne, Arkansas. At four years old, he announced he figured he knew everything. Throughout his childhood, he read every book in the school’s libraries. In seventh grade, he built a computer out of a box for a Junior High science project. He was a proud member and president of the first integrated class in his county and was excited to celebrate his 50th high school reunion with his classmates this fall. Mac never met a test he couldn't ace. That gift served him well throughout his life, though it once led to a memorable moment: on a dare, he took the county’s Betty Crocker Homemaker Test—and won. The victory, however, proved a bit too much for his principal, who declined to publish his photo in the newspaper. He went on to attend undergrad at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, followed by law school at Duke University. Mac carried his love of knowledge into adulthood. He enjoyed competing in trivia with family and friends at Willow Creek and Coto de Caza country clubs, where his quick wit and warm spirit made every gathering more lively. Mac loved fishing and enjoyed his annual fishing trips to Canada with his Kansas City friends. He also enjoyed playing a round of golf with his wife of 43 years, Petey, in the early evening as the sun set. With his love of history, research, and helping people, Mac excelled in his career as an attorney and trust officer. As a passion project, he became an early publisher for Ancestry.com and Find A Grave. He published over 80,000 entries, helping families find their loved ones and collecting unique stories along the way. In Kansas City, he dedicated hundreds of hours on the historical Elmwood Cemetery, researching and documenting graves. At St. James Episcopal Church, Mac and Petey spent countless hours on gardening and harvesting thousands of pounds of produce for the church’s Utah Food Bank distribution. Diagnosed at a young age with Bruton’s disease, Mac defied the odds. He was one of the oldest people alive with the disease and lived almost four decades past the average lifespan. Mac felt immense gratitude for his doctors over his lifetime, especially Nabhi Abdou, Sudhir Gupta, Adrienne Carey, Rebecca Buckley and Wesley Burks. His wife thanks the Infectious Disease team at UCI, of note Dr. Steven Park, for giving Mac more time so he could meet his first granddaughter, Maddie. Mac is predeceased by his father, Rolla DeLoss McKnight. He is survived by his mother, Carolyn, stepfather, Ed Wilson, two sisters, Annita and Frankie, his wife Petey, three loving daughters and their spouses - Emily (Ally), Becca (Jon), and Caroline (Abhi), and his four grandchildren. We will all deeply miss his dad jokes. Visitation for Mac will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2026, from 2 pm until 3 pm at Kernodle Funeral Home in Wynne, Arkansas. A funeral service will follow at 3 pm at Kernodle Funeral Home. Burial will be in Cogbill Cemetery alongside his family. If you would like to make donations in lieu of flowers, please donate to the Utah Food Bank or St. James Episcopal Church in memory of Mac McKnight.

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DeLoss "Mac" McKnight

October 17, 1957 - March 25, 2026