Justin J. Knight

Justin J. Knight, age 49 passed away on Sunday, August 20, 2023 at his home in Mossville, IL.
Justin was born on September 28, 1973 in Peoria, IL a son of Thomas R. Knight and Katherine Crowe. He married Deidre McReynolds on March 17, 2006 in Las Vegas, NV.
He is survived by his father, Thomas (Linda) Knight of Washington, IL and mother, Katherine Crowe of Peoria, step-father, Scott Richman, grandmother, Carol Knight of Peoria, and wife, Deidre, one son, Matt Sears of Mossville, IL, one daughter, Tara Sears of Peoria, two granddaughters, Mattalyn Sears of Mossville and Leia Sears of Lincoln, IL, two brothers, Jeffery (Cheri) Knight of Monona, WI and Aron (Kathy) Knight of East Peoria, as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews and aunts and uncles.
Justin graduated from Peoria High School in 1991. He was the kid in school who always made you laugh, and then grew into the adult who always made you laugh. He was extremely proud of his work as a chef at Cyd's in the Park for the past 15 years. He made thousands of diners happy, and sometimes his hot sauces and spicy rubs would make them cry. When he was not working, he would grill, smoke meats and cook for his family and friends at home.
Justin was always the center of attention when he was around. He loved to entertain friends and family, he loved live music, sports, movies and TV. He enjoyed the holidays but was especially fond of St. Patrick's Day, the special day in 2006 when he married Deidre in Las Vegas, so "he would always remember their anniversary."
He always found a way to make the best of any situation, even when things did not look great. When things were stressful in the kitchen, at home or in tricky situations he would just keep going and tell everyone that "things will be fine, we will get through this," and they almost always did.
He was an outstanding athlete, a model, a stunt man, a chef, a joker, a husband and dad, a grandpa, a friend, a brother and a caring thoughtful son who would help anyone who needed it.
His middle name is actually James but he became casually known as Justin "Other" Knight, or just J.O.K which became his informal brand of burgers and hot sauces. He was also known as J-Dawg to his many, many friends and acquaintances who loved him dearly and will miss him greatly.
Visitation will be from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM on Friday, August 25, 2023 at Wright & Salmon Mortuary. Cremation Rites will follow service.
Memorials may be made to PAWS in Peoria or the American Cancer Society.
Friends and family may view full obituary and sign the online guestbook by logging onto www.wrightandsalmon.com