Sonja Nall Knaack

Sonja was born in Jackson, MS on January 17th, 1962 to John and Bettye Nall. She attended Callaway High School and was an active youth member of Briarwood United Methodist Church.

Sonja was a woman of many talents and interests who excelled at anything to which she put her mind. She earned her degree in classical dance from Indiana University and had an impressive performance career as an actor on stage and screen. She competed as Miss Nevada in the Miss America Pageant of 1985, winning the Talent Award for her performance of “Kitri’s Variation” from the ballet Don Quixote.

Living and working in southern California for most of her life, Sonja was a proud member of both Actor’s Equity and SAG/AFTRA. Through the years, she took on many different career paths from teaching ESL at California State University Northridge to working in the field of human resources consulting.

Sonja is survived by her parents; her brother, Kevin Nall; her former spouse, William Knaack; and their children, Ashley Fehrenbach (married to Daniel Fehrenbach), Gaige Knaack, and Caden Knaack.

A visitation will be held at Parkway Funeral Home in Ridgeland, Mississippi on Saturday, July 29th from 10:00 am to 11:00 am. A funeral service will follow at 11:00 am in the chapel.

In the words of her daughter, “People often talk about someone being ‘a light’ in the world. My mom was not a light. She was a bonfire; a woman full of burning, stubborn passion for those she loved and for what she believed in. She was a flame that could not be put out, and she burns on still in our hearts.”

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.parkwayfuneralhomeridgeland.com for the Knaack family.