John Kight Obituary

John Wesley Kight III

August 28, 1941 – March 22, 2026

John Wesley Kight III, 84, of Aspinwall, passed away on March 22, 2026, following a sudden and short illness. A man of immense curiosity, global vision, and gregarious spirit, John leaves behind a legacy of industrial innovation, breakthroughs in several industries, and a lifetime of deep international friendships.

Born on August 28, 1941, in Pittsburgh, PA, to John Wesley Kight II and Mary McAteer Kight, John grew up in Fox Chapel. He was a 1959 graduate of Shady Side Academy and earned his degree from Lehigh University in 1963, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He later continued his studies with graduate coursework at Carnegie Mellon University.

John's passion for industry began with summer internships in metal manufacturing. Because of these early experiences, he often remarked that he knew how just about anything made of metal was manufactured. After graduation, he joined his father's representative firm and underwent specialized training at Hitchiner Manufacturing. He became a dedicated advocate for the investment (lost-wax) casting process, helping to popularize the method and establishing a career-long expertise in the foundry industry.

In the 1980s, John's desire to see the world transformed his business. He began representing foundries in Australia, Israel, the UK, Taiwan, and China. In 1984, he founded Worldsource, Inc., and in one notable instance, even represented the government of the Australian state of Tasmania in trade and investment negotiations with U.S. companies. Throughout this era, he supplied parts to industries as varied as defense, cookware, oil and gas, and railroads.

Around this time, he also started a longstanding relationship with the Ho family of Taipei, making Asia a special focus of his business and Taiwan a 'home away from home'. Partnering with Chris Ho to build and expand the investment casting industry, John was eventually involved with over 200 foundries across Asia. From the 1990s onward, he pivoted to supplying raw materials to these foundries and partnered with the Ho family across diverse sectors, including die casting, semiconductors, and fire protection. It was through these deep ties that he met his second wife, Amy Ho Kight. They remained a nearly inseparable team in both business and life until his passing.

A self-made engineer with an intuitive knowledge of mechanical design, John's recent decades were defined by his focus on the titanium investment casting industry in both the U.S. and Taiwan. He was a passionate innovator, constantly developing new methods for titanium casting. He often remarked of his work, "Nobody has done what we have done. Nobody does what we do." In the mid-1990s and early 2000s, he also owned Arizona Wax in Mesa, AZ, a casting wax reclamation factory run by his son, Brian.

Despite traveling to dozens of countries across five continents, John always returned home to Pittsburgh. He was a committed local leader, serving on the O'Hara Township Council (including a term as President) and more recently as a leader in the RIDC Business Alliance and his local HOA board. An ardent fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers, he held season tickets since 1967.

John was a true bon vivant who loved good food and fine wine. He was a member of the la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs and a local wine club, and even dabbled in wine making and exports. An avid reader and lifelong learner, he remained fascinated by new technologies until his final days.

John is survived by his wife Amy Ho Kight, his son Brian S. Kight of Tempe, AZ, his daughter Amanda Metz and her husband Ulrich of Apache Junction, AZ, and his sister Mimi Kight Kirsch of Seattle, WA. He is also survived by his beloved Taiwanese family in-law, including his mother-in-law Jin Yeh Wang Ho, brothers-in-law Kim, Larry, Hanz, Chris, and James Ho, sister-in-law Shio Fong Ho Lee as well as 29 nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews who loved him dearly.

The family will receive friends on Saturday, April 4th, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at Weddell-Ajak Funeral Home, 100 Center Avenue, Aspinwall. A private celebration of life will be held at a later date.

Memorial Donations: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Parkview EMS at parkviewvfd.org or 200 S Margery Dr, Pittsburgh, PA 15238.

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