William Harton Knighton passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 92. He was born January 8, 1920 at home is Syracuse, Davis County, Utah to William and Doris Alice Cottrell Knighton.

He was an active member and High Priest in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

William attended Syracuse Elementary School 1- 8th grade then Davis High School in Kaysville grades 9-12.
He was attending Weber College when he was drafted in July 1941 but opted to enlist in the Army's Air Core in aircraft maintenance. Stationed in Sicily, Italy, North Africa, India, and Bangladesh, he served his country for 4 years during the war.

After WWII, he worked as an apprentice embalmer at Lindquist's Mortuary.

He met Shirley Ann Rond and married 6 months later on 12 June 1946 in the Salt Lake Temple.
After their first daughter, Rhonda Ann Knighton, was born in 1947 and the family moved to California shortly after so William could attend the San Francisco College of Mortuary Science. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mortuary Science. The family moved back to Ogden Utah in June of 1948 and he began working at Lindquist and Son's Mortuary as an embalmer and funeral director.
In 1949 another daughter was born, Carla Jean Knighton. And later in 1952 a son, William Richard Knighton, was born.

William worked at the mortuary for about 5 years then returned to aircraft maintenance at Hill Air Force Base in Clearfield UT. He did maintenance on the flight line until he became the aircraft engine repair manager. During this time he set up a multi-facility, multi-engine repair system where engines from multiple air bases were sent to Hill for repair and return to their homes.

He retired at age 55 (1975) with health issues

He and Shirley lived in South Ogden until 1985 when they moved to be near their daughter, Rhonda, in Newport OR where they discovered Shirley had breast cancer. She died in 1986 in Corvallis OR. After his wife's death he and daughter Rhonda returned to Utah and lived in Salt Lake City where he met and married Dorothy Carbine (Rufenach) Krueger and married her in the Jordon River Temple on December 22, 1988. They lived in Salt Lake City where they worked as ordinance workers in the Salt Lake Temple. Dorothy passed away on September 18, 2007 and William moved in with his daughter Rhonda in Rexburg ID the day before Thanksgiving in November of 2009.

At the time of his death, he was living in Saint Anthony Idaho in an assisted living facility.

He is survived by 3 children, Rhonda A Knighton, Carla J. Knighton Petersen (Edwin), and William R Knighton (Heather). He has 11 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

Graveside services and interment will be in Ronan Montana.