James Howard Knoll

James H. Knoll, 78, of Decatur, Georgia, passed away, gently and swaddled in love at home by his most cherished friends, on January 2, 2025, following a short illness.

Jim was born on November 1, 1946, the son of Howard Joseph Knoll and Anna Louise Howat Knoll in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was the oldest of four children. 

Jim was a graduate of Elder High School (1964) and received a full scholarship to Xavier University where he graduated with a Bachelor’s in accounting in 1968. That same year, he relocated to Atlanta where he began a decades-long career as a CPA. He founded James Knoll CPA, PC in Buckhead, from which he retired in 2016.

Jim was active in Atlanta’s theater community. He took immense pride in working with a group of committed friends and artists to create and produce a series of shows called “Straight from the Heart,” which aimed to raise awareness of and funds for persons living with HIV-AIDS.

Jim served as president of the Atlanta Executive Network and headed AID Atlanta’s volunteer buddy-support services during the height of the AIDS crisis. In 1988, AID Atlanta honored Jim with its Humanitarian of the Year Award. He also was a volunteer for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

Jim was blessed with a joyful and playful spirit, a contented nature, a sparkling wit, and an impressive gift for gab. He loved being an attentive uncle to his Knoll and Smooke nieces, nephews, and their children. He never passed a bakery without lustful window shopping or, better yet, exiting with a bag of goodies. He wasn’t shy to offer quips and informed opinions on culture, people, and politics. Jim’s happy places included Cincinnati with his family, NYC, Las Vegas, Aruba, Puerto Vallarta, and Amsterdam. He was an inveterate reader, especially of page-turning mysteries. And few things gave Jim as much pleasure as a Broadway show.

Jim is survived by a large tribe of folks, including brother Timothy Knoll and wife Karen, sister Nancy Conly and husband Jim, sister Luann Monnig (all of Cincinnati), eight nieces and nephews, and a number of great-nieces and nephews. In addition, Jim is survived by his chosen family of former partner Brian Smooke, with whom he remained best friends; Brian’s spouse Tommy Faircloth; Douglas Berger; and Nora, who brought exuberant puppy love to Jim for nearly four years.

Jim was predeceased by his parents and brother-in-law Dan Monnig.

Jim’s loved ones want to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the attentive and kind staff of VITAS Healthcare for helping make his final days comfortable and his transition gentle.

Jim’s cremains will be interred alongside his family in Cincinnati. Life celebration plans will be announced at a later date. 

If you wish to remember Jim with a charitable gift, please consider making a donation—in recognition of his love of theater and his decades-long commitment to social justice and those living with AIDS—to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS at https://store.broadwaycares.org/donation.