Patsy Dawn Knox
On October 21, 2024, Patsy Dawn Knox passed away at age 87 years from cancer at her home in Mary Esther, Florida. She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph William Knox and Clara Knox; her sister, Peggy Knox Orr; her sister’s husband, Andrew M. Orr; her niece, Annette Margaret Orr Arthur; and her dear friend, Antoine "Antonio" Moukarzel. She was born at home in Lawrenceburg, TN on October 29, 1936. When her sister Peggy came home from school, she commented, "Where is her neck?"
In 1954, Knox graduated as salutatorian from Lawrence County High School. She received a BS degree cum laude from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and completed a dietetic internship at the Los Angeles VA Center. After working for two years as a therapeutic dietitian at Richmond VA Hospital in 1961-63, Knox served as a commissioned Lieutenant, U.S. Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD. Knox was pleased to be assigned work in all Institutes to learn the latest in nutritional health practices. After three years, she worked as a diet consultant with Savarese, Ehrmantraut, & Mitchell, MDs, Rockville, MD. There she pursued her favorite passion of interior decorating.
In 1963, at age 26, she purchased her first home, a well-worn rental on a quiet street in Bethesda. To her disappointment, the real estate agent informed her that women could not qualify for loans. She would have to assume the loan that was already on the property. Knox wanted to put more money down to lower the payments, but, since the owner was out-of-state, that would take more time to close. Knox asked if she could begin restoring the house. As if to say, "You can't hurt it," the agent responded, "Go right ahead." Sanding floors, stripping wallpaper, scraping off peeling paint, and removing linoleum began. After two months, the renovation was completed, and the closing occurred.
Now there was time for another interest---flying. She learned that, after obtaining a private pilot’s license, she could use her VA benefits to get commercial, instrument, and multi-engine ratings as well. Every weekend was full. Unfortunately, after four years, her dream job with the internists came to an end, not her or their fault.
The Rocky Mountains were calling, along with another dream job: City and County of Denver Public Health Nutritionist, beginning with counseling Spanish Americans. Sadly, her high school Spanish was almost forgotten after counseling African Americans. Within a few months, Knox found the perfect home in the country on two acres. This property could board a couple of horses for income and did not require a lot of restoration---just a change in paint colors. Fortunately, the owners agreed to carry her loan for 25 years. Knox had no idea she would own for 25 years. But with skiing and buying a Cherokee Arrow 200 to lease back to the Flight School to get all of her VA-supported ratings, the time went fast.
A job supported by U.S. government grants is not the most stable of jobs. Lay-offs come without much notice. The final lay-off came. Knox survived by working for Hoffman Flight Management, sometimes flying to work at the other end of Denver. It was very interesting, meeting John Denver and a Saudi Prince (Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz).
Knox had survived on her own long enough to know when to apply for whatever job is out there. After two months, she followed up with "We've been calling you. We would like you to come for an interview." Knox quickly asked, "May I fly my airplane down?" The response came, "Yes, just keep your receipts." She was treated so royally at the interview with a great lunch with wine, she almost forgot. Thus, after she put the glass to her lips, she quickly set it down. The Medical Administrator immediately asked if something were wrong. "No, I flew myself down, and now I must fly back." Soon the call came. "In 10 days, we need you to start working with Aramco Oil Company in Saudi Arabia." Knox asked, "May I wait until after my birthday?" Years later in Dhahran, she learned that was the first statement in her personnel file.
Travel had always been an important part of her life. By the time she was twelve, the family had been to every state in the union (48). After her dietetic internship, she and her parents went on a Sinclair oil tanker to Venezuela to visit her sister Peggy Orr, her husband Andy, and their son Drew.
After the end of her first job in 1961, she took a dietitians' tour to Europe and continued on her own from London to Scotland and then with a friend to Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Since she thought it would be her only chance, she returned on the German cruise ship Bremen. While working to fill the pregnancy leave of a dietitian at the Bethesda Naval Hospital, she had the opportunity to take an inexpensive charter flight to Germany and then on to Berlin to see a friend.
In 1977, the International Congress of Dietetics was to be held in Sydney. That was all it took for Knox to plan her first trip around the world with TWA, which took her everywhere she wanted to go: Hawaii, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand, India, Kenya, Israel, Turkey, and Greece, seeing friends and other members of the 99s along the way. --- Eventually she visited 112 countries.
In 1989, Patsy became a charter member of the Arabian Section of "The Ninety-Nines," an international organization of women pilots, founded by Amelia Earhart and 98 other women pilots. --- From 1981-1994, Knox enjoyed her work in the Middle East, with a small staff of different nationalities, counseling patients from all over the world. Since Aramco Oil Company was begun by a bunch of Texans in 1933, the hospital food was very southern-inspired. Her initial project was to update the menu to include food to which Saudi Arabians and other Middle Easterners were accustomed.
In 1990, when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait, the Medical Administrator asked Knox whether she would be boarding one of the three flights leaving for the U.S. Knox thought about what her father, who had been a twice-enlisted Marine, would say. She assured the administrator that she would stay there to help however she could. --- Much to her surprise, she was asked by the Public Affairs Lt. Colonel of the First Tactical Fighter Wing, Langley AF Base, to lead tours to the Dhahran AF Base to support the troops. This was one of the most gratifying times of her life.
Knox is survived by two nephews, Andrew M. Orr, Jr; his daughter, Poppy Kai Orr; Nelson Knox Orr; his wife, Michelle; their daughter, Gabrielle Orr; grandniece, Erin Nicole Arthur; grandnephew, Ryan Arthur; and very dear friends, Charles Johnson and Wendy Brand-Newton, Gretta Moukarzel, Yorgo and his wife Pamela Moukarzel, Lea Moukarzel and her husband Roy Challita and their daughter Andie, and Lynn Moukarzel.
A grave-side service with military honors will be held at Lynnwood Cemetery in Lynnville, TN.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Patsy’s memory to the charity of your choice.