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Winter Park,
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32792
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JAMES ADDISON McKNIGHT III (Jim), 81, passed into glory Wednesday, January 10, 2018, 2:55PM , at Westminster Winter Park Health Center. His loving wife of 52 years, Lynne, son Patrick J McKnight and daughter-in-law Dena, son Andrew R McKnight, daughter Sarah McKnight Sasek, surrounded Jim’s bedside with love during his final days and hours. Jim was a real estate developer and contractor by education and trade. Before moving his family from Chicago, Illinois, in 1981, he had founded K M Knight Construction Company in Skokie, Illinois, at the age of 26. Small, but successful, the company had varied projects such as a hotel in downtown Evanston, Illinois, a remodeled brownstone home in the Belmont Harbor area, for which he received a prestigious architectural remodeling award from the AIA. He developed high end homes in the Villa Turicum subdivision of Lake Forest, Illinois, as well as Stoneybrook subdivision in Libertyville, Illinois, and high-end homes in Lincolnshire, Illinois. Belmont Avenue Apartments is the single 20 story high rise he built in the Belmont Harbor area. Many commercial and moderately priced 4 plus 1 apartment projects were also built in the larger Chicago area. Jim was offered the opportunity to move to Florida as Vice-President of Development and Construction to build Vistana Resort. Eventually the company was bought by Starwood Hotels, reaching a national market, including Hawaii. In 2006, Jim became a consultant, and retired from the industry in 2008. Shortly after retirement, Jim was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease (2011). In 2014, Lynne and Jim moved to a smaller home in Waterbridge, Winter Park. In 2016, Jim moved to the Memory Care Unit of Westminster, then upstairs to skilled nursing, in October, 2017. Jim loved the outdoors, and took his bride for their honeymoon, to the family “Tree Farm” in Northeast Wisconsin. He loved nature, travel, gardening, and especially his Bride, Lynne, and children. Family travels were great adventures. They ranged from the North Woods in Wisconsin, to Atlantis in the Bahamas, to Montana, Wyoming, Canada. Jim was an Irishman to the core, devoted to the principles of integrity, honor, and family. And a little Bushmills Irish Whiskey didn’t hurt, either! A Memorial Celebration of Jim’s life will be held mid to late February at First Presbyterian Church, Orlando. Details will follow. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in memory of Mr. McKnight, to the Alzheimer's Association Central and North Florida, 2180 West State Road 434, Suite 1100, Longwood, FL 32779. Contributions can also be made on-line at https://www.alz.org/cnfl/