Elsie McKnight (nee Rintoul)
8 Aug 1928 – 27 Aug 2025
With deep sadness we announce the passing of
Elsie (Rintoul) McKnight
on 27 Aug 2025, at the age of 97.
Elsie Elizabeth Rintoul was born on 8 Aug 1928, the eldest of 8 children of Alva and Helen (Somerville) Rintoul. She passed away peacefully on 27 August 2025 at Almonte Country Haven.
Elsie grew up on the Rintoul farm in Ramsay Twp. After attending Carleton Place High School and the Toronto College of Design, she taught at Singer Sewing schools for several years. Elsie met William (Bill) McKnight in 1949 and they married on 30 Dec 1950. Bill was from New Brunswick; he was a radio electronics specialist in the Air Force. During Bill’s 40-year career, they were posted to Germany, Winnipeg, New York, Ottawa and Halifax. Their son Wayne joined the family in 1954, and daughter Brenda in 1962.
In 1982, Elsie compiled and published 600 copies of “Yesterday’s Beginnings”, the history of our 3,880 Rintoul ancestors (this book was recently reprinted).
After Bill’s retirement, Elsie & Bill lived in Bill’s home town in N.B. for 26 years, then briefly in Halifax, where Bill died on April 6, 2009, age 85. Then Elsie moved back to Carleton Place, to be closer to her family.
In addition to her husband Bill, Elsie was predeceased by her daughter Brenda (in 2024), and by brothers Kelvin, Bill, Archie, Leslie and Donald. She will be dearly missed by brother Laurie and sister Ruth and their families, as well as her son Wayne, daughter Brenda’s partner George Watters, 4 grandsons (Philip, Jamie, Jarrett, and Micky), and 8 great-grandchildren. Elsie was an exceptional person, deeply loved and appreciated by our big family.
Special thanks to Country Haven for their care and support. A Celebration of Life will be held at Almonte United Church on Saturday Sept 13, at 1:00 p.m.
