John Wainscott is named Utah's Knight of the Year

Friday, May. 22, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY — District 5 Knights of Columbus hosted the 108th annual Utah State Knights of Columbus Convention in Vernal May 1-3, and named John Wainscott the Knight of the Year.

Wainscott, former Supreme Director and past State Deputy, has been a Knight for 29 years and held most offices in the Utah Knights of Columbus both on the council and state level, said Jerry Hanten, State Deputy.  “He has served as a scoutmaster and has been representing the Knights of Columbus as the Veterans Administration chairman and is assisting with our present Wheelchair program.” 

Wainscott served as a Grand Knight, a State Deputy and on the Supreme Council as a supreme director; his dedication and service speak for themselves, said Hanten. 

While serving on the Supreme board, Wainscott was chairman of the Pro-life and Family Committee, and chairman of the Audit Committee; he attended Pro-Life marches in Washington D.C. and San Francisco.

Wainscott helped the Knights of Columbus donate an ultrasound in Utah to help expectant mothers considering ending the life of their child, to see their child, said Hanten. “He and his wife Linda show their service to the community by supplying and handing out gloves and hats at our annual Coats for Kids distribution. ... He also was a vital member of this year’s convention committee.”

Wainscott joined the Knights of Columbus in 1986, and at the same time his wife, Linda, joined the Council of Catholic Women at Blessed Sacrament Parish, “so we could get more involved in parish life,” he said. “It was also a way to get closer to God.”

The Knight of the Year award “is a tremendous honor and I don’t know how you single out one person, especially out of 3,400 Knights in Utah,” said Wainscott. “I accepted this award for all the Knights in Utah and for my family. Being a Knight is being a volunteer for Christ; Linda has always been at my side to support me, and I’ve instilled volunteerism in my kids, who are now grown adults. We’ve had so much fun working on projects.”

Opportunities exist, but “you have to reach out to them,” said Wainscott. “When I run into someone I haven’t seen for a while, I feel like there is always a reason for the interaction I have to pursue, and I look for those opportunities.”

One example occurred on May 13, when Wainscott found a location for the next ultrasound machine when he spoke to the board of directors of the Ogden Pregnancy Care Center about “how the Knights of Columbus can support them in their mission to save lives with an ultrasound machine,” he said. “They were interested, and that will be our next fundraising activity. The vast majority of women, through talking and seeing an ultrasound of their baby, decide to continue their pregnancy.” 

Wainscott was asked recently “if the Knights of Columbus could get about 60 wheelchairs for the outlying buildings at the VA hospital [in Salt Lake City],” he said. As a result, he and fellow Knight Ray Folks have been fundraising “and in six months we’ve got enough for 110 wheelchairs,” he said. Wainscott said he could “go on for days talking about the Knights of Columbus and how much fun it is being a Knight; I love their projects and my fellow Knights are family.” 

In addition to his work with the Knights, Wainscott recently became a trustee on the Catholic Foundation of Utah, which has given him an opportunity to look at the rich history of the Catholic Church in Utah, he said. “We owe it to our grandchildren to leave a legacy so the Church can be strong in the future.”