Richard Knowles' Obituary
Richard Knowles, 76, beloved parent, spouse and mentor, accomplished painter, and retired Professor of Art (Distinguished Emeritus) from the University of Memphis, died December 7 at Methodist University Hospital. Sketches and photographs of Greece, Borneo, Canadian coastlines, the bayous of the Deep South and mountains of Utah and New Mexico inspired many of his landscapes and abstract paintings. His aim as an artist was “to record the dynamic forces of the deserts, mountains, canyons, forests, and sea” he often visited. Water and rock in Knowles’ acrylics, water colors and charcoal drawings crash in all directions, spill over the edges and suggest powerful, complex emotions as well geologic rift and upheaval. Richard is survived by his wife, Carol; his son, Paul and his wife, Tammy of Brookfield, Wisconsin, and grandchildren — Michael, Laura and Anna; his daughter, Amy and her spouse, Vickie Dycewicz of Middletown, Connecticut. The family will receive friends from 10-11:30 Saturday, December 11, followed by a memorial service at 11:30 a.m. both at Memorial Park Funeral Home. The family requests that any memorials be made to the Sierra Club.
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