NATCHITOCHES, LA
Aug. 6, 1930-Aug. 24, 2021
Dorothy Roig Knecht, fondly known as “Dot”, died peacefully Aug. 24, 2021, at the age of 91. A funeral service will be at 1 p.m. Monday, Aug. 30, at Trinity Episcopal Church. Interment will follow at Memory Lawn Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be Monday from 10 a.m.-noon at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home.
Dot was born in New Orleans Aug. 6, 1930. She grew up on North Rocheblave Street and graduated from John McDonough High School.
She married the love of her life, Gene Knecht, and moved to North Louisiana to start their family and her life as the wife of a high school football coach. Dot and Gene, better known as Coach, began both their family and the Coushatta High School football program in 1952. Blessed with three sons, Gene, Jim and Brett, they moved to Winnsboro where a daughter, Pam, was added to the family.
In 1961, Dot and Gene moved the family to Natchitoches when Gene joined the football and coaching staff at Northwestern State College. Her love for the NSU Demons never wavered and Dot remained an avid and loyal fan until her death. She always claimed that she “bled Demon purple” and refused to believe otherwise.
Dot’s greatest pride was her family and her loving relationship with her best friend, Gene. Together they enjoyed fishing on the river and lakes around Natchitoches in Coach’s trusty Duracraft boat. All of her children were very involved in athletics and competitions, which provided her with a very full schedule of practices, games, road trips and competitions in addition to being a coach’s wife and housewife. Dot somehow managed to attend all the events and cheer on her children and husband in every endeavor.
Definitely a woman of great love for her family and God, she modeled the essence of a loving and devoted mother. Her dedication to Trinity Episcopal Altar Guild gave her much joy and peace and serving in our Lord. With her beautiful eyes, genuine smile, and a gift of gab, she was blessed with an abundance of friends and she dearly loved her Beta Sigma Phi sisters.
Dot was preceded in death by her husband, Eugene V. Knecht Sr.; parents, Anton and Caroline Roig; eight brothers; and six sisters.
She is survived by her adoring children, Eugene V. Knecht Jr. and wife Judy, James D. Knecht, MD, and wife Elizabeth, Brett O. Knecht and wife Darlene, and Pam K. Singletary and husband John; and 11 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren who have always looked up to their grandmother as their greatest supporter and inspiration in life.
A special thanks is extended to Ms. Iris Jean Gay for her constant loving care and dedication to our mother. She loved our mom like her own.
Those honored to serve as pallbearers include Brad Knecht, Matthew Knecht, John Singletary III, Landon Knecht, Ji Theriot, Ricky Dugas, Darron Leach, Brad Duesler, Welles Fitzpatrick, Spencer Leon and Jim McAshan.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Trinity Episcopal Church of Natchitoches or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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