City of Yuma honors Councilmember Gary Knight

Community invited to Councilmember Knight's Celebration of Life on Friday, May 3 at 11 a.m. at the Yuma Historic Theatre

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The City of Yuma is remembering and honoring Councilmember Gary Knight in a Celebration of Life after he passed away in April.

Councilmember Knight passed away on Sunday, April 14, at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix and was 77 years old.

The Celebration of Life begins at 11 a.m. on Friday, May 3, and will be at the Historic Downtown Theater located at 254 S. Main Street.

Afterward, there will be a luncheon at the Yuma Civic Center located at 1440 W. Desert Hills Drive.

There will also be a procession of city vehicles to honor Councilmember Knight that will go from the downtown area to the Yuma Civic Center area after the service.

History of Councilmember Gary Knight

Councilmember Gary Knight was a Yuma native and Navy veteran who loved the outdoors and enjoyed bass fishing, trap shooting, and playing golf.

The city said Knight owned and operated a boat dealership for 32 years before joining the City Council. He was also known as "Yuma's Boat Dealer."

Knight leaves behind his wife Bonnie, his children, Kevin (Cana) and Melissa (Gerry), his four grandchildren, Joshua, Connor, Ethan, and Elizabeth, and his niece Tamara, and nephew Bryan.

The City of Yuma said Knight was first elected in 2013 and was in the middle of his third consecutive term on the Yuma City Council.

He served as a Deputy Mayor in 2017, 2018, and 2019, and has represented the council and Yuma residents on several regional and state boards.

“It was an honor to serve alongside Gary Knight, and he will be remembered for his tenacious dedication to improving our community for all Yumans,” shared Yuma Mayor, Douglas Nicholls.

Knight had been a member of the Greater Yuma Port Authority since 2014 and helped secure $7 million for the port's real estate.

The City of Yuma said when Knight served as Deputy Mayor in 2016, he was instrumental in the development of a plan that would develop and redevelop underutilized and blighted areas in the city's historic core.

After the establishment of the program, the City of Yuma said it has had an increase in development activity within the district.

Councilmember Knight also served on the Executive Board of the Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization for the past 10 years and served as chairman in 2017 and 2023.

During his time with the organization, he played a key role in regional projects that included:

• the widening of U.S. Highway 95 between Yuma and the Yuma Proving Ground,
• and the construction of the Fortuna Wash bridge.

The City of Yuma said Knight was also appointed by former Arizona Governor Doug Ducey in 2018 to the State Transportation Board for a six-year term representing District 6 which represents Yuma.

He served as the chairman in 2023 and was still on the board before he passed away, said the city.

While on the State Transportation Board, Knight approved a grant that allocated $500K to the roadway improvements within the Gary J Magrino Industrial Park, the City of Yuma said.

The city said he also supported over $10 million in funding for several Yuma area regional projects including:

• the Yuma County extension for Avenue E and D,
• the transportation hub at Hotel Del Sol,
• and the widening of Cesar Chavez Boulevard in the City of San Luis.

The City of Yuma mentioned Knight would visit City Hall every day, he was a strong advocate for the City employees, and always greeted them with a warm welcome.

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