Kaye Knight was an extraordinary woman who lived her life serving others. Kaye, who I was lucky enough to call my friend, died Monday after a long battle with cancer. Her beloved husband of 52 years, Ramsey, was by her side.
I’ve known Ramsey and Kaye since I moved to Selma 12 years ago. I met Ramsey before I met Kaye, as Ramsey was, and is, a long-time Rotarian. He and I would trade good-natured barbs each meeting, and he would always leave my hand hurting after one of his iron-gripped handshakes.
I first met Kaye on a boiling hot summer day at the local animal shelter. I’d told my children that when we moved into our permanent house in Selma we’d get a dog, so naturally my first visit when the time came was to the local animal shelter.
As I was escorted into the area where stray or unwanted dogs were being held and readied for adoption, there stood Kaye. She was dressed in what I can only describe as a plastic suit. She wore long, thick plastic gloves and knee-high boots. Her short, sweaty, gray hair peeked out from under a big hat that shaded her beet red face. She had a water hose in her hands as she washed down the kennels, filled water bowls and tried to calm the frightened dogs who were wailing at the top of their lungs, desperate to find a loving home.
I introduced myself to her, telling her I served in Rotary with her husband. She knew who I was, as I expect Ramsey told her of my weak handshake – then again all handshakes are weak compared to his.
I explained I was looking for a family dog, but was specific in what I was looking for. Small, with short hair was a requirement. She told me I should visit Selma Animal Hospital where there was a small dog I may be interested in. She found it laying in one of the kennels in a puddle of water, flies buzzing all around it. The dog had been paralyzed due to being riddled with ticks, was near death, so she scooped it up and took it to Dr. George Wood’s office where it had been for several months recovering.
Lulu has been a part of our family now for 10 years. Part Rat Terrier, Chihuahua and who knows what else, we call her “perfect dog” because, well, she’s perfect in every way.
Kaye and I became friends that day. I recognized her servant’s heart, something that was illustrated by her tireless work to help shelter animals lead a better life. Kaye and I worked together on several projects to boost adoption of stray animals and highlight the work she and others did, and are doing.
I have no doubt in her lifetime Kaye is responsible for saving hundreds of animals, and just prior to her death she dedicated her childhood home and farm to that effort by helping establish Sky Hill Animal Society, Inc., whose motto is “Helping Animals to Help People.”
The only thing bigger than Kaye’s heart was her love of God and her husband Ramsey. Kaye’s longtime friend Lynn Sanders said it best in a social media post shortly after Kaye’s death: “Scripture tells us that we will receive a crown at judgment that will reflect what we did with our lives for God. We then lay that crown at Jesus’s feet as our sacrifice. I know that I know that Kaye Knight has just laid a huge crown full of jewels at our Lord’s feet.”
Amen.
If you’d like to memorialize Kaye, the family requests that donations be made to Sky Hill Animal Society, Inc., P.O. Box 511, Selma AL 36702 or to a charity or organization of your choice.