Glenn B Knight, PhD, passed on May 27th, 2019 at home, with the love, support and comfort of family.

Born September 4th, 1953, Glenn was the first child of Helen and the late Robert Knight.  He graduated from Danvers High in 1971.  As a young man, he distinguished himself as a scholar, record setting athlete, and was active in Boy Scouting.  Glenn excelled in many pursuits, but was especially passionate for backcountry sports like rock climbing, skiing Tuckerman's Ravine, and was an "end-to-ender" of The Long Trail.

The fortunate breakdown of his Volkswagen Karmann Ghia introduced Glenn to the love of his life in 1973.  He and Penny Perkins wed in 1976, and were blessed by a life of true love and their two children.

Glenn was a lover of learning; he received a degree in Chemistry from UMass, Amherst, and a Master's Degree in Biochemistry from The Ohio State University.  He was conferred a PhD in Biochemistry from Boston University, and became a postdoctoral fellow at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. In 1988, he joined the Department of Laboratory Medicine at Lahey Clinic in Burlington.  There he started the Molecular Biology Laboratory, a facility he ran for twenty years.  A respected and well published member of the scientific community, Glenn truly felt that no day was complete without having learned something new.  The medical research he performed, especially into hepatitis and autoimmune disease helped to develop treatments and improve the lives of people around the world.

Generous with time and rich with talent, Glenn was an involved member of the Marblehead community.  His favorite holiday was Independence Day.  He chaired the town fireworks committee in the mid-1980's, and had the ultimate thrill of lighting the first fuse from the causeway.  When his son joined Scouts, he became a troop leader and soon found himself Scoutmaster of Troop 79.  However, nothing was more important or precious to him than his family, with whom he enthusiastically shared his love of learning, travel and exploration.  He led his family on many adventures - including two cross-country road trips to the National Parks - capturing memories through a camera lens.

Glenn leaves a vibrant legacy - one of patience and passion; strength and accomplishment; lives improved and minds inspired.  He will forever be missed.  He is survived by his wife, Penny; children, Jennifer (husband, James), Bradford (wife, Nilla); several grandchildren; mother, Helen; brother, Brian (wife, Suzanne); in addition to the extended Knight and Perkins families.

The family thanks all those so generous through Glenn's long and valiant battle with illness.