A funeral mass for Dr. Gerald (Jerry) Knowles, 90, will be at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 11 at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 224 S. Kendrick St., in Flagstaff, AZ.  A rosary will be held at 10 a.m. prior to the mass. A reception in the Guadalupe Parish Hall will follow the mass.

Jerry died July 30 in Flagstaff and was born Nov. 11, 1932 in Jerome, AZ to Jack and Mabel Knowles. Jerry and his parents lived along the Route 66 towns of Flagstaff, Winslow, Holbrook, and Albuquerque as Jack worked as a pharmacist. The family moved back to Flagstaff for good in the 1940s and Jerry graduated Flagstaff High in 1951 and attended Conception Abbey seminary in Missouri for two years before returning to Arizona to pursue an education degree at Arizona State College. He earned a bachelor's and later a master's from ASC. He student taught at Flagstaff High and later at Emerson, the old Mount Elden and ASC elementary schools.

In 1963, Jerry and family moved to the University of Illinois where he earned his doctorate in 1966 and began an 30-year teaching stint at Arizona State, Northern Arizona, Purdue, Temple, University of Arizona, Dine College, and later University of New Mexico. His early seminary training sparked a life-long passion to help those in society who were suffering and had been pushed to the margins. He helped establish student teacher programs on the Navajo Reservation and the inner cities of Gary, IN and Philadelphia, PA. He also worked for the Navajo Division of Education. In the mid-1980s, he transitioned into doing planning work to get the Kayenta, AZ Township established and came out of retirement to work in the Zuni, NM pueblo's planning office. He was the author of several books about Route 66, his personal journey and the state-championship winning-Winslow football coach Emil Nasser. A move to the Green Valley, AZ area didn't slow him down. He volunteered at the federal prison there, working with inmates on substance abuse issues.

He will be remembered for his jovial manner, a ready smile, and a determined willingness to teach and help those in his life.

He is survived by his children: Robert Knowles of Broomfield, CO., Timothy Knowles (Sharlotte) of Gallup, NM, Maureen Knowles-Short (Bob) of Flagstaff, Lt. Col. (Ret.) Greg Knowles, (Birgit) of Colorado Springs, CO; he is also survived by his extended family children; Charley Eisenberger Domebo Haungooah, Denise Garza, Pasquirrita Patti Haungooah Eisenberger; Hattie Gray, Yanavia Haungooah, Roseine Tree, Dean Haungooah; grandchildren: Christina, Christopher, Rachel, Kevin, Julia, Rebeca, Aleah, George, Skyhawk, Ricky, Erica, Velena, Georgetta, Georgia and Nahvonie; great-grandchildren Mario, Natalia, Maddie, and Ellie,

He is survived by former partner Velma Eisenberger and former wives Lorraine Underwood and Kathleen Knowles.

His former wife Charlene, daughters Jackie and Mary, and son Jerrell predeceased him.

Memories and condolences can be shared with family online at www.norvelowensmortuary.com