Richard H. Knox, died January 18th 2023, an Army veteran and Philadelphia lawyer who practiced law for 70 years. In 2014, Mr. Knox stopped practicing at his office in the Land Title Building and worked from home in East Mt. Airy with his wife, Eileen C. Knox, a knowledgeable paralegal with whom he practiced as a team for 45 years. Mr. Knox worked in many areas of the law over the years from 1957 including civil and criminal litigation, real estate transactions, estate planning and estate administration.
Mr. Knox was the son of Paul W. Knox, a native of Waynesburg, Greene County, Pennsylvania, a Philadelphia lawyer and partner in the firm of Rambo, Knox & Landreth, and Florence Welch Knox, of Passaic, New Jersey, a graduate of Barnard College of Columbia University, a school teacher and a homemaker, whose life of 110 years spanned three centuries from 1893 to 2003. Mr. Knox's siblings, both of whom predeceased him were Patricia Knox Bailey a retired school teacher, and John Paul Knox, Esquire, a founder of the law firm Timoney Knox of Fort Washington, PA.
Mr. Knox was a graduate of Central High School, in 1947, Class 188, and Lafayette College, Easton, Pennsylvania, Class of 1951 and of the University of Pennsylvania Law School, Class of 1954.
During his 1950's military service, Mr. Knox was a German Language trained special agent, U.S. Army Counter Intelligence Corps in Wurtzburg and Kitzigen, Germany.
Upon discharge from the Army, Mr. Knox was employed as a law clerk in the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia for Judges John Morgan Davis and Raymond Pace Alexander, and Beryl Caesar, a law school classmate. Mr. Knox had a meaningful relationship with Judge Alexander, the first African American to serve on the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia, and who was honored by the Philadelphia Bar Association for his outstanding judicial services as a trial judge.
While working as a law clerk, Mr. Knox, a resident of Center City Philadelphia, also practiced law. He was associated with the late Kip Denega, Esquire in the trial of insurance subrogation cases. In criminal litigation, he was defense counsel in 50 homicide cases and many felony trials.
In his private practice, Mr. Knox represented individual clients in civil transactions, formed business corporations, and wrote business contracts. He and his wife Eileen C. Knox managed an office of ten individual practitioners in the Land Title Building for over thirty years.
Mr. Knox was a sports coach and director of the Chestnut Hill Fathers Club, and the Chestnut Hill Youth Sports organization, in which his sons participated. Mr. Knox also served on the board which organized lunches at the Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church.
In addition to his wife Eileen, Mr. Knox is survived by sons Richard N. Knox (Rick) and wife Megan, and Andrew W. Knox, Esquire and his wife, Heather, and grandchildren John, Benjamin, Hannah, Ella, Kyle, Teddy and Lucy. Mr. Knox was predeceased by two sons, Peter and Todd Knox.
A memorial service is to be held at the Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118 on February 3rd 2023 at 11:00AM followed by a luncheon at North Hills Country Club. Interment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, (Plunkett Scholarship), 500 Willow Grove Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118; or Lafayette College, 730 High Street, Easton, PA 18042.
