Gail Rosenthal Obituary

Gail Knope Rosenthal, 89, wife of the late Thomas Davis Knope Sr., passed away on Sunday, September 14, 2025. Born in Piedmont, SC, she was a daughter of the late Thomas and Effie Morris Dickson. Gail was a graduate of Greenville High School, where she enjoyed being a majorette. After graduation, she was proud to be named runner up in the Miss South Carolina pageant. In 1954, Gail married Tom Knope while he was serving in the military, stationed at Donaldson Center and she was attending Anderson College. The couple was blessed with eight children, and Gail was a proud and devoted mother. Gail worked as a real estate agent at Century 21 in Greenville for several years and later owned and operated both "Pets Galore" and "Classy Dog" pet shops with her husband Tom. She was an active member of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, where she volunteered teaching Sunday School and CCR. She was also very social and active in her community. She volunteered as a Girl Scout leader and was a member of the Red Hat Society. Left to cherish her memory are her children, Cynthia Knope White (Arthur), Sandra Knope Lucius (Charles), Victoria Knope Ross (Charles), John Frederick Knope (Crystal), and Edward Warren Knope (Amanda); beloved grandchildren, Michele Nicole Cohee, Pauline Elizabeth "Polly" White Kotowski, Arthur E. White III, Thomas Ohlen White, Caleb Wesley White, Charles Green Lucius IV, David Thomas Lucius Sr., Steven Dickson Lucius Sr., Alec Taylor Knope, Davis R. Knope, and Peyton C. Knope; adored great-grandchildren, Courtney Marie Drozd, Caitlin Mae Drozd, Arthur E. White IV, Leila H. White, Cynthia Gail "Thia" Kotowski, Crosby White, Caleb Wesley "Wes" White Jr., Chloe White, Everett White, Thomas Ohlen White Jr., Max White, Patrick Edward White, Hazel Katherine Lucius, Anne Cullen Lucius, Charlotte Green Lucius, David Thomas Lucius Jr., Sutton Holmes Lucius, Steven "Sandt" Dickson Lucius Jr., Lathan Moss Lucius, and Warren James Knope. In addition to her beloved husband and parents, Gail was preceded in death by her son, Thomas Davis Knope Jr.; daughters, Sara Elizabeth Knope and Jeanna Marie Knope; grandson, Edward Warren Knope Jr.; great-granddaughter, Elizabeth "Lizzie" Jane Knope; sisters, Betty Long of Clemson and Sara Landers of Norfolk VA. A visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Monday, September 22, 2025, at Thomas McAfee Funeral Homes, Downtown. Funeral services for Gail will be held at Our Lady of the Rosary Church on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, beginning with Recitation of the Holy Rosary at 11:30 a.m. immediately followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 12:00 p.m. Prayers of committal and burial will be held in Woodlawn Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Gail Knope Rosenthal may be made to the South Carolina Commission for the Blind, 1430 Confederate Ave., Columbia, SC 29201 and Ari Foss Foundation, https://arifossfoundation.org. Friends are encouraged to share their favorite memories of Gail with the family by clicking on the button labeled "Share A Memory".