Mary Diane Smith-Knights, of Lilburn, GA, loving wife, mother, sister, and grandmother, passed away Saturday, November 8, 2008. Diane was born on July 30, 1944 and was raised in Atlanta, GA. She was a graduate of Avondale High School in Atlanta, and Georgia State University. Diane worked in the GSA Property division of the Federal Government. She was the founder of C.L.O.G. Diane spent more than 20 years building what was originally a state-wide clogging and dance leadership organization, into an international dance convention bringing tens of thousands of cloggers together every year. Diane was very active with the Partner Church Program in her church, UUCG, and made two trips to Romania to support this partnership. She was preceded in death by her parents, Willie Jo “Bill” and Benjamin Smith. She is survived by her husband, Walter Knights; and her daughter, Kelly Schell Hardin (Greg); two grandchildren, Maximilian and Alistair Hardin, all of Chicago, IL; two brothers, Charles W. Smith (Wanda) of Cropwell, AL, and Edgar M. Smith (Nancy) of Lithonia, GA. Funeral services will be held Monday, November 10th at 1:00 P.M. in the chapel of A. S. Turner & Sons with Reverend Roy Reynolds officiating. Memorial donations may be made to Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Gwinnett (for the Partner Church Program), 12 Bethesda Church Road, Lawrenceville, GA 30044 or to the American Diabetes Association, 3 Corporate Square, Suite 120, Atlanta, GA 30329. The family will receive friends Sunday from 5:00 P.M. until 8 P.M. at A. S. Turner & Sons, 2773 N. Decatur Rd., Decatur, GA 30033.
