Mary Lea (Buford) Knott

Mary Lea Knott, 62, of Cape Girardeau, formerly of Jackson, passed away Friday, November 15, 2019, at St. Francis Medical Center in Cape Girardeau, as a result of complications from early childhood Hodgkin’s disease.

She was born May 1, 1957 in Bellingham, Washington, to Thomas and Maxine Rexford Buford. She and Thomas M. Knott were married December 23, 1983.

At the age of 12, Mary was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease and underwent treatments at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. St. Jude became a special place to her and through the years, she participated in St. Jude Life, which is a study where long-term childhood cancer survivors return to St. Jude for regular health screenings throughout their adult lives. The unique findings from St. Jude Life are helping many other survivors learn more about their individual health needs while providing insight for future treatments.

Mary was a graduate of Ellington High School in Ellington, Missouri.  In 1983, she graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with a Bachelor of Science in Management.  She then worked 30 years at Procter and Gamble, retiring in 2013.

Mary enjoyed reading, working crossword puzzles, and a was a lover of dogs. She will be missed by her special Yorkie friend, Simon.

Loving survivors include her husband of 36 years, Tom; six brothers and two sisters; 26 nieces and nephews; 38 great nieces and nephews; and several brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

A memorial visitation will be from 1 to 4 p.m., Saturday, November 23, 2019, in Chapel A, at McCombs Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Jackson.

Memorials may take the form of contributions to St. Jude Children’s Hospital.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Mary Lea (Buford) Knott, please visit our floral store.