Last week, fresh off the passing of Don Russell and Linda Litter, came the news that Charles "Buzz" Knoles had died at 94.

Each of these losses leaves a void for the families and the community. Each blended good business sense with genuine service to others. Each, in their own way, understood something the Chamber holds close—that a thriving business community and a thriving community are one and the same. We are grateful for their example and, with Buzz's 94 years of service to our community, we want to honor his legacy.

Born and raised here, Buzz spent 94 years proving that leadership isn't confined to a boardroom—it shows up in our offices, in Sunday school classrooms, and in the countless volunteer hours that rarely make headlines but always make a difference.

In the business and civic arena, Buzz's résumé reads like a roadmap of community leadership. His employment at the Chillicothe Gazette and Horizon Telcom brought innovation and new ideas to our community, deepening our bonds and expanding our horizons. His role on the boards of the Chamber, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Salvation Army, and Chillicothe Rotary extended his steady, service-minded leadership to those organizations—and so many others.

But his biggest gift to Chillicothe and Ross County was building things that brought people together. Seeing a need to empower children in business, he brought Junior Achievement to Ross County. When the program needed a steady funding stream, Buzz founded the local Gus Macker 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament. One of his last public appearances combined two of his most treasured contributions: an April Rotary meeting that honored the 2026 winners of the Junior Achievement scholarship that bore his name.

Perhaps most telling of all is the role Buzz was proudest of: he served as a Youth Sunday School Teacher for more than 60 years at Calvary Lutheran Church. For a man with so many titles and honors, it says everything that the one closest to his heart was teaching others about God.

Buzz's life reminds us of what we should carry forward each day—that life is better when we do it together, whether that means celebrating a win, tackling a challenge, or simply showing up for someone in need.

Buzz, Don, and Linda didn't wait for someone else to build the Chillicothe they wanted to live in—they built it themselves, one volunteer hour at a time. That's the torch our next generation of leaders is now called to carry: mentor a student, join a board, coach a team, show up. Their legacy of service isn't behind us—it's a blueprint for what comes next.