Dollie Leona Knowles, 84 years old, passed away peacefully on February 25, 2025. Dollie was born November 2, 1940, to the late D.C. and Ruby Ruth (Card) Grisham. She was the oldest of three girls and times were hard for their family in the early years. Despite that, she grew up happy and nurtured by her parents, as well as both her maternal and fraternal grandparents who were present in her daily life. She graduated from Technical High School in 1958 and shortly after, in 1959, she met and married the love of her life, Vernon Buchanan Knowles. In 1960 they moved to Dallas where they raised their two children and where they remained for the rest of their lives.

Dollie worked for the same company for 59 years and the many friends she met at Petra Chemical were like a second family to her. She loved them like family. Little did they know that when they held a dinner celebration to recognize her 50 years of service in 2010, she would continue to work another 9 years.

When she wasn't working, she was spending time with her family. When her children were younger, they spent many weekends hauling both a camper and a boat to various lakes and vacation destinations. Dollie enjoyed water skiing back in those days and somehow managed to water ski without ever getting her hair wet -- not an easy feat! In her later years, she enjoyed working in her yard in her leisure time. She loved to plant flowers to keep her porch and patio colorful and welcoming to all who visited her home. By far some of her favorite visitors were her grandchildren, who loved to have a sleepover with Nanny and PaPa where the rules were made to be broken.

She had a ready smile and was kind to anyone she met, no matter the struggles she might have been going through. She always followed her "Goodbye" with a "God Bless You" which she meant with all of her heart, because she loved with her whole heart.

Dollie leaves behind her children; Daryl Knowles, Deanna (Dan) Thompson, her grandchildren, Megan Knowles, Brittany Knowles, Joshua Thompson and her great grandson, Emmett Fawcett as well as a sister, Wanda (Troy) Jones. She also leaves behind many cousins, nieces and nephews as well as beloved friends.

Dollie was preceded in death by her husband, Vernon Knowles, her parents, D.C. and Ruth Grisham and a sister, Mary Clark.

A graveside memorial will be held at Dallas/Fort Worth National Cemetery on March 7, 2025 at 11:30 am.

Special thanks to the caregivers at Heritage House in Murphy, Texas for their loving care. Also special thanks to the friends who visited Dollie during her stays in rehab and memory care.