Frederick Henry Knight III, 79, a sailor and lawyer

Frederick Henry Knight III, 79, formerly of Paoli, a sailor and retired lawyer, died Friday, May 14, at his home in Easton, Md.

Mr. Knight grew up in Bryn Mawr. Vacations on Buzzards Bay and Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts introduced him to sailing at an early age. He later acquired a love of the outdoors while attending Camp Allagash in Maine, his family said.

Mr. Knight attended the Haverford School, graduated from the Taft School in Connecticut, and earned a bachelor's degree from Yale University.

After two years of service in the Army in Oklahoma, he earned a law degree from the University of Virginia.

He practiced corporate law in Philadelphia for more than 30 years and was a partner with the firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius for many years before retiring in 1991.

Mr. Knight and his wife, Judy Knight, moved to the Maryland Eastern Shore in 1994, where they pursued their love of sailing. In recent years, they sailed in Bucks Harbor near their summer home in Brooksville, Maine.

Mr. Knight belonged to yacht clubs in Maryland and Maine. He was a member of the prestigious Cruising Club of America and was certified in celestial navigation by the U.S. Sailing Association. For four years he was a member of the Naval Academy Sailing Squadron and was a volunteer coach when the squadron's offshore team competed in races from Newport to Bermuda.

Mr. Knight, whose ancestor Lt. Robert Martin fought in the American Revolution, was former treasurer of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the Society of the Cincinnati. The society was established in 1783 by Continental Army officers who served under Gen. George Washington.

In addition to his wife of 28 years, Mr. Knight is survived by sons Frederick IV, Mark, and Lawrence; four grandchildren; and his former wife, Roma W. Knight.

A celebration of life service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 27, at St. David's Episcopal Church, 763 S. Valley Forge Rd., Wayne.

Memorial donations may be made to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, P.O. Box 17447, Baltimore, Md., 21298 or Blue Hill Heritage Trust, P.O. Box 222, Blue Hill, Me., 04614.