Orion Knox Jr., who helped develop Natural Bridge Caverns, died quietly in Austin on Dec. 31 at the age of 81 after a battle with Parkinson’s disease.
Knox is survived by his wife Jan, whom he met through the local caving club at the University of Texas in Austin in 1966, where he enrolled after working for the Wuest Heidemann family. Following his graduation from UT with a bachelor’s degree in architecture, the two married in 1968, and went on to become an avid cave surveying team, exploring and mapping cave systems around the world.
Apart from Natural Bridge Caverns, the pair are known for their survey work in Harrison’s Cave in Barbados, Kartchner Caverns in Arizona and Grutas de Bustamante in Mexico.
Jan has asked that memorial donations can be made to Texas Cave Management Association. or the Texas Nature Conservancy.
You can donate to the TCMA in his honor by filling out the form below.