Bernice A. Knight

Bernice A. Knight

Bernice A. Knight, a truly one-of-a-kind woman with a fierce spirit of wonderfully colorful proportions, died on Sunday, Nov.2, 2025, peacefully in her Mill Hall home with her family close by.

Born Nov.14, 1937, in Oswego, N.Y., Bernice was the daughter of Paul and Edna Henderson Dehm and was one of 10 children.

In May of 1956, Bernice met her one true love, Russ Knight, outside of a movie theater in Oswego, N.Y. They were instantly inseparable and married only three months later on Aug. 25, 1956. Though her husband preceded her in death in 2011, they are, at long last, together again.

Bernice is survived by two sisters, Betty Saraceno, of Endicott, and Joan Knoop, of Oswego; her daughters, Beth Dyke (Walter), of Lock Haven, Mary Dauberman (Jay), of Bellefonte, and Amy Knight, of Lock Haven; and a son, Dan Knight, of Lock Haven. In addition to her children, Bernice was graced with seven grandchildren, Robert McCloskey, Charlotte Fulger, Krystle (Anthony) Dyke, Russell (Catherine) Dauberman, Emily Dauberman, Daniel (Macy) Knight and Ricky Fantaski; seven great-grandchildren, Caitlyn and Gabriel McCloskey, Brianna, Jazlyn and Thomas Fulger, Gia Brungard and Juniper Demuro-Dauberman; and one great-great-grandchild, Aubrey Fulger, all of whom brought her an abundance of joy over the past four decades. She is also survived by numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

In addition to her parents and husband, Bernice was preceded in death by seven of her nine siblings, Mary Irene, Frances, Sally, Joe, Paul, David and Tommy; as well as her daughter, Judy Maguire (Jeff), of McElhattan.

Bernice graduated from St. Mary’s School in 1951 before graduating from Oswego High School in 1955. She remained in Oswego until 1972, when she moved her family to Mill Hall, Pa., where she lived out the rest of her long and contented life.

She was an avid cruciverbalist, loved jigsaw puzzles and was especially talented in knitting, a skill she used to make and donate mittens to those in need in the winter; she loved to help others. Bernice genuinely loved to work and did so until she was 84 at various businesses in Mill Hall, including K-Mart, Uni-Mart and Quik Fill.

Bernice was a Jeopardy whiz and would most certainly have given Ken Jennings and Brad Rutter a run for their money. Furthermore, she was notorious for her cooking and baking skills; on any given Sunday her kitchen was filled with the wonderful scent(s) of savory meals and/or delicious baked goods that she loved to share with family and friends.

She was a member of the St. Agnes Catholic Church in Lock Haven.

In spirit, Bernice exuded a perfect harmony of compassion, ferocity and wit; she cared deeply for others but did not hesitate to boldly and emphatically speak her mind. She possessed until her dying day a unique and sharp sense of humor to which seemingly no one was impervious; she loved to make others laugh and to laugh with them. Her legacy will echo on in the countless hearts she so effortlessly touched, in stories to be carried through the ages.

A memorial Mass will be celebrated at 11:30 a.m., on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, at St. Agnes Church, 3 E. Walnut St., Lock Haven, with the Rev. Joseph T. Orr officiating.

Interment will be at St. Agnes Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the Lock Haven Catholic School, P.O. 303, Lock Haven, PA 17745.

Helt Funeral Chapel in Mill Hall has charge of the arrangements.

Online condolences can be sent at MaxwellHelt.com.