Robert Joseph Knox

Robert Joseph Knox, 89, died March 7, 2026, after a short illness.

Bob was born in Salisbury, N.C., on March 4, 1937. He attended Salisbury schools, graduating from Boyden High School in 1955 and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1959 with a degree in industrial relations. At UNC, he was a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity and the U.S. Air Force ROTC.

After graduation, Bob entered the Air Force as a second lieutenant and served until 1967, leaving with the rank of captain. He met and married his wife, Priscilla Kuykendall Knox, in San Antonio, Texas, in 1961. Bob was stationed at various bases around the country, including Texas, New Hampshire, and Nebraska, where he flew the Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, a refueling jet. He left the Air Force in 1967 and became a pilot for Pan American World Airways, flying out of Berlin, Germany; New York City; and Miami, Fla. Bob was proud to have been the co-pilot on the last-ever Pan Am flight on Dec. 4, 1991.

In 1972, while Bob was still flying for Pan Am, he and Priscilla started Greensboro's Priba Furniture, which is now run by their son, Scott.

Bob was predeceased by his parents, George and Anne Knox, and his brother, George Cowan Knox. Survivors include his widow, Priscilla Knox, and two sons and their spouses and children: Robert Joseph Knox Jr., and his wife, Harriette, of Beaufort, S.C., and their son, Davis, of Washington, D.C.; Jeffrey Scott Knox and his wife, Kim, of Greensboro, and their children, Slater, of Fuquay Varina, N.C.; Reid, of Greensboro, N.C.; and Elizabeth, of Savannah, Ga.

After a private service, the family will receive visitors at a reception in the Special Occasions Room at Well-Spring Retirement Community in Greensboro on Sunday, March 22, 3:30 – 5 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to First Presbyterian Church Greensboro, the American Cancer Society, or a charity of one's choice. Forbis and Dick Funeral Service, North Elm Chapel, is assisting with arrangements.