Wayne Edward Knouse, 83, of Palm Bay, Florida, passed away, Monday, September 13th, 2017 at his home.
A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held at 1:00 pm, Saturday, October 21st, 2017 at Criswell Funeral Home, 815 Arlington St, in Ada, Oklahoma. Rev. Brian Matthews will officiate. Burial will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery in Ada.
Wayne was born November 17th, 1933 in Council Bluffs, Iowa to Robert Arthur and Anne Marie (Hansen) Knouse. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in 1952. He enlisted in the United States Army, where he later met the love of his life, Phoebe Grace Quarles, while stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, and whom he married on August 15th, 1957.
Although working in various careers in his lifetime, Wayne was employed for most of his working years as a topographical cartographer by the United States Geological Survey of the United States Department of the Interior. He enjoyed his work until he retired in 1993, and then he and his wife moved in 1998 to Florida where they lived the remainder of their years.
He was an active athlete in his younger years, having participated in boxing, ice hockey, football, and basketball. In his later years after his retirement, he spent a lot of his time on gardening, working part time doing security, and looking after the household pets. He also enjoyed reading, singing, and spending as much time with his children, grandchild and great-grandchildren as he could.
Wayne is survived by his son, John Knouse, his daughters Helen Baskin and Fay Henderson, his granddaughter Kathryn Sailsbury, four great-grandchildren, and one sister, Geraldine Alber. He was preceded in death by his wife Phoebe Grace (Quarles) Knouse, his son Wayne Edward Knouse, Jr., his sisters Lois Walker, Barbara Walker, and Gwendolyn Kuhn, and his two brothers Gordon Knouse and Robert Knouse.
The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made in his honor to either Villalobos Rescue Center (http://www.vrcpitbull.com/), Planned Pethood Plus (http://www.plannedpethoodplus.com/), or to your local Humane Society.
Criswell Funeral Home, Ada
