Carroll Knicely, noted civic leader, dead at 77

Published 12:00 am Friday, November 3, 2006

GLASGOW – Carroll Knicely, 77, of Glasgow died Nov. 2, 2006, at T.J. Samson Community Hospital.

The Staunton, Va., native came to Glasgow in 1957 as president, editor and publisher of the Glasgow Daily Times, in partnership with his former boss at the Waynesboro News Virginian. He became the owner in 1963. During his days in journalism, Knicely also owned interests in newspapers in Columbia, Campbellsville, Middlesboro, Hopkinsville, Pineville, Scottsville and Shepherdsville and owned a printing facility near Louisville. He also held a part ownership of a weekly newspaper in Westmoreland, Tenn., all under the auspices of Associated Publications. He was a former national president of the Travelers Protective Association and served as president of the Kentucky TPA and Post B TPA. A longtime supporter of Western Kentucky University, he served and was elected vice chair of the WKU Board of Regents beginning in 1976. He was instrumental in the success of the university’s nationally known journalism department. WKU’s economic development program’s building on Nashville Road in Bowling Green, the Carroll Knicely Conference Center, is named in his honor. He began his career in state government when then Gov. Julian Carroll asked Knicely to serve as commerce commissioner during the final year of Carroll’s administration. It was through Knicely’s efforts that year that Kentucky secured the location of the Corvette plant to Bowling Green. He served for Gov. Martha Layne Collins as Secretary of the Kentucky Commerce Cabinet after her election in 1983 and later served briefly during the administration of Gov. Wallace Wilkinson. He was instrumental in bringing the Toyota plant to Georgetown. Mr. Knicely was a member of the Glasgow Rotary Club, where he maintained a nearly 50-year record of perfect attendance. He served as director, vice president and president of the Glasgow Rotary Club, was a Paul Harris Fellow and past district governor. He served as president of the Glasgow-Barren Co. Chamber of Commerce, was a Mason, a Shriner and chaired many local fund drives.

He was a son of the late B.C. Knicely and Violet Phillips Knicely. He was preceded in death by a brother, B.C. Knicely Jr.; a sister, Rosebud Crotts; and two grandchildren, Billy Ray Gaines and January Mannes.

Funeral is at 2 p.m. Monday at Glasgow Baptist Church, where he was a member, with burial in Glasgow Municipal Cemetery. Visitation is from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday and from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Monday at A.F. Crow & Son Funeral Home, and then will be moved to Glasgow Baptist Church, where visitation will continue from noon until time for services.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to the College Heights Foundation at Western Kentucky University.

Survivors include his wife, Evelyn Furr Knicely; two sons, Carroll Knicely Jr. and his wife, Sydney, of Glasgow and Daryl Knicely and his wife, Lisa, of Richmond; three daughters, Kaye Gaines and her husband, William, of St. Petersburg, Fla., Brenda Kramer of New Castle, N.H., and Beverly White and her husband, Mike, of Glasgow; two brothers, Vick Knicely of Staunton, Va., and Larry Knicely of Harrisonburg, Va.; four grandchildren, Breanna Knicely, Chance Knicely, Michael Gaines and Brooklynne Donzelli; and three great-grandchildren, Canyon Gaines, Dante Donzelli and Christian Maier.