D. Darlene Knight

D. Darlene Knight was born January 20, 1939, to Richard A. and Jacqueline L. Brand in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. At the age of 86, she went to be with her heavenly Father, God Almighty on February 8, 2025. She was raised in the Christian faith, became a Christian at the age of six, remaining in the Baptist Churches for the next forty-eight years, then attended non-denominational churches.

 Her passion for people and cooking led her to do volunteer cooking for the Baptist churches in Oklahoma City area-volunteering at Falls Creek Baptist Assembly for the summer camp week, and numerous fall and spring retreats for youth and adult groups, as well as youth activities and programs in her church. She loved youth groups and worked with them for twenty years, frequently having large groups in her Oklahoma City home. Her love of people, entertaining and hospitality often blessed her and her family by welcoming total strangers into their home. For twenty-five years she worked as an accountant/office manager for the family-owned heating and air conditioning business in Oklahoma City. In 1984 she opened the Country Tea Room, which she owned and operated, often catering, mostly for Baptist churches and doing all of her own baking and cooking. Later, she enjoyed managing Cape Craft Pine in the Northwest Oklahoma City mall. Inspired by the food industry, she worked at McCartney's Cooking School, assisting the chefs and teaching her own classes. As she developed an avid interest in health and fitness, she worked at Cagle's USA Fitness as a Public Relations and Program Director, where she and her youngest daughter also taught aerobics. Later, she worked at the Oklahoma City YWCA as a Public Relations, Program and Volunteer Director, as well as the YMCA. Upon marrying Richard L. Knight, they moved to Stilwell Oklahoma in 1994, where she began a fifteen-year career in real estate. She reluctantly retired in 2008 due to health issues.

 Preceding her in death were her father, Richard A, Brand, her mother, Jacqueline Brand, and her daughter, Diana Lea Dawkins. Keeping her memory are her husband, Richard L. Knight, her son, David Daniel Henderson, of Stilwell Oklahoma, her daughter, Debra Denise Russell, son-in-law, Rian A. Russell of Seneca South Carolina, son-in-law David Warren Dawkins of Yukon, Oklahoma, a stepson, Zachariah Abram Knight of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, her grandchildren Travis Lane Rogers, his wife Annie Rogers, Taylor Mae Dobbins, her husband Troy Dobbins, Ryan David Dawkins, his wife Maddy Dawkins, Madison Synan, her husband Preston Synan, Hunter Dean Henderson, Hudson John Henderson, step-granddaughter Crystal Knight, six great-grandchildren with one on the way and a host of family and friends.

A graveside service will be held in her honor at the Stilwell City Cemetery in Stilwell, Oklahoma, on February 14, 2025, beginning at 11:00 AM. Friends, family, and all who were touched by her life are invited to come together to celebrate her memory and reflect on the profound impact she had on so many lives.