SPRINGFIELD, OHIO – R. Bruce Knight passed away peacefully May 25, 2021, after a long battle with cancer. He attended Elmwood Elementary, Schafer Middle School, Springfield High School and Ohio State University. He served in the US Army and spent one year in Vietnam and served during the Tet Offensive.
He was employed by International Harvester as an industrial engineer and a personnel manager in the employment office.
Bruce was a passionate lover of antiques since childhood. In the late 1960s, he became a full-time antique dealer, opening his antique shop of 30 years, Knight’s Antiques. He founded the Springfield Antique Show and Flea Market, which became one of the largest of its kind in the nation. A major antique importer for more than 40 years, he and his wife Vivalyn traveled to five continents making many friends around the globe, but always happy to return to his life-long home of Springfield, Ohio. He founded and was still operating the largest antique center in the United States, Heart of Ohio Antique Center. Bruce’s impact on both the local and national antique industries has been profound.
Bruce is preceded in death by his parents, Kenneth and Margaret Knight, and his beloved dog, Zeus. He leaves behind his brother, Kenneth Knight Jr (Gloria), daughters Kristi Craddock (Rodney) and Abbey Simeral (Coleman), son Rob Knight (Jamie), four beautiful grandsons: Andrew and Tyler Craddock, Louie Knight and Trevor Kopp, and his wife and soulmate Vivalyn.
For his entire life, Bruce has had a close bond with nature and wildlife, spending countless hours in woods and streams. He loved hunting mushrooms, feeding the deer, birds and his pond fish. He loved to share with others his knowledge about antiques and considered every day an “Easter egg hunt.” Bruce often shared how he felt privileged to have been born on this Earth to learn, love and create in this beautiful world given to us by God, and he enjoyed every minute of it!
A celebration of Bruce’s life was held June 1.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Animal Welfare League in his dog Zeus’ name at www.awlspringfieldohio.wixsite.com.
The family asks that you share memories through www.littletonandrue.com.
