William McColley Knowles, 65, died at 8:38 p.m. Christmas day. He had been fighting acute myeloid leukemia since Nov. 28 of this year.</p><p>Mac was an amazing father, husband, brother and friend to all of us. His passion for life was evident in his decision to fight cancer head-on. With a narrow margin of success, his choice was to live or die trying.</p><p>Mac was born Oct. 29, 1946, to Russell and Mary Knowles of Appleton City. He graduated high school in Appleton City and college from the University of Central Missouri with a degree in accounting. Mac was drafted into the United States Army following college. He was stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, where he served as a payroll clerk during the Vietnam War.</p><p>Mac worked for the U.S. Treasury Department in the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. He operated as a national bank examiner, enforcing risk management regulations. Mac took a seven-year sabbatical from the treasury department to start a family and open a line of sandwich shops. He returned to the OCC and retired from the government in 2003.</p><p>Mac enjoyed following his sons throughout their lives. He volunteered as a Boy Scout leader and was a member of the Woods Chapel Methodist Church. He loved people, telling stories, jokes, entertaining and laughing. Following retirement Mac enjoyed fishing, conversing with friends at the Gamber Center, laughing and golfing.</p><p>Mac was preceded in death by his parents, Russell and Mary Knowles. </p><p>He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Linda; sons, Matthew, Blue Springs, and Grant, Portland, Ore.; siblings, Franklin and wife, Annette, Susan and husband, Jim, Wesley, and Jay and wife, Rose; as well as a host of cousins; nieces; nephews; and friends.</p><p>Friends and family are invited to attend a visitation at 9 a.m., Dec. 31, at Langsford Funeral Home, followed by the funeral. The burial will be at 10 a.m. in Lee&#x92;s Summit Historical Cemetery, 291 Highway and Third Street. A celebration of life with Mac&#x92;s favorite pastimes, talking, laughing, eating and warming our hearts, will be at the Gamber Center, 4 S.E. Independence Ave., immediately following the funeral.</p><p>In lieu of flowers, you may honor Mac with a memorial contribution to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.</p><p>(Arrangements by: Langsford Funeral Home, 115 S.W. Third St., Lee&#x92;s Summit, MO 64063; 816-524-3700)