John William Kight

Born July 8, 1921 in Hazelhurst, Georgia, and passed away December 6, 2016, in Sacramento, CA. He was preceded in death by his parents, John E. and Donnie Kight, siblings Gertrude Sinclair, Adelle Crosby, and George and Gene Kight, wives Doris Kight and Jimmye Kight and grandson Ricky Staggs. He is survived by his wife Joan Boyd, children Donna Staggs, J. Charles (Ann) Kight, and Julie (Tim) Reardon, six grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and siblings Mary Lee, Betty Faulk, Charles E. Kight, Sr., Donna Skeen, and Dianne Kight. John proudly served his country for six years in the Navy aboard the USS La Vallette DD 448, which was the only American destroyer to be both torpedoed and mined during World War II. He served on the destroyer following repairs for damage sustained in an air torpedo attach in the Solomon Islands that killed 22 crew members and wounded four. He fought in 21 major battles including Leyte Gulf. His ship was the only ship to get a 21-gun salute when the ship returned to San Francisco as the war was ending. John retired from California State University, Sacramento after 27 years as the supervising painter for the campus. Services will be held on Wednesday, December 14, 2016, at 2:00 p.m. at Sierra View Funeral Chapel, 6201 Fair Oaks Blvd., Carmichael. In lieu of flowers, remembrances in John's memory can be made payable to University Foundation at Sacramento State for the "Joan Boyd Scholar Award" and sent to the College of Business Administration, Development Office, CSU Sacramento, 6000 J Street, Sacramento, CA 95819-6088 OR The National World War II Museum, National Processing Center, P.O. Box 97336, Washington, DC 20090-7336. Funeral Service DEC 14. 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM Sierra View Funeral Chapel & Crematory, Inc. 6201 Fair Oaks Blvd. Carmichael, CA, US, 95608 http://www.sierraviewfuneralchapel.net/