Affton Chamber to Honor Citizens of the Year

The Affton Chamber of Commerce calls Pam and Larry Knox "tireless volunteers."

The Chamber will honor the Affton couple as its 2012 Citizens of the Year at an auction and awards dinner Saturday at Royale Orleans Banquet Center, 2801 Telegraph Rd.

The Chamber reports that the Knox's met at the now-defunct P.N. Hirsch & Co. store that Larry managed. Pam was a part-time employee at the same store. They married in 1968. The couple relocated several times to various other P.N. Hirsch locations around the Midwest before Larry ended up at the store at Gravois and Mackenzie roads in Affton in 1979 , according to a chamber bio. Their children followed in 1980 and began attending Affton Schools.

Although the chamber reports the Knox's volunteer efforts started when the lived in Indiana, "it was in Affton that they became truly active."

Larry was a baseball coach of a team in the Affton Athletic Association and coached boys basketball at Seven Holy Founders Catholic Church. He also was the boys freshman coach at Affton High School for two years.

The chamber bio points out that Larry co-founded the Affton Basketball Association in 2002, adding that he received the SOAR Award in 2003. He has been an Affton school board member since 2009.

Pam also has been an active volunteer in Affton, according to the chamber report. It said she co-chaired the first high school lock-in party for the class of 1988 and another lock-in in 1991. She was a member of the Affton 150-Year Celebration committee, The chamber said Pam also received the SOAR award in 2011, adding that she established the Affton Community Volunteer Organization in 2011 and currently is its director.

Larry is a sales representative for Zep Manufactring. Pam is the creative arts coordinator for Friendship Village. They have two sons, Daniel and Timothy, and four grandchildren, Grace, Lauren, Abbegale and Samuel.

Pam and Larry Knox will receive their award at the chamber's auction and awards dinner Jan. 26. Also honored will be Timothy Weinmann, president of Knrick's Meats and Catering, as the Affton Business Person of the Year. Affton Beautification awards also will be given out at the dinner.