Carolyn Jean Knight, 71, formerly of Orange, Texas, passed away on December 31, 2022, after a lengthy battle with Multiple Myeloma.
Born on July 11, 1951, she was the daughter of Harold Wynne Anderson, Sr. and Bobbie Sue (Key) Anderson. Carolyn wore many different hats in her life, but her greatest role and joy was being a grandmother to her grandson, Travis. They spent much of his childhood together and rarely did you see one without the other. Nursing was her passion and she began her career as a Licensed Vocational Nurse at Orange Memorial Hospital, and later continued her education to earn an Associate Degree from Lamar University becoming a Registered Nurse. She served in the critical care areas of ICU and ER and eventually became the Critical Care Coordinator for the hospital. Later in her career she became the Director of Nurses for a local long-term care facility, ending her career with a new-found respect for geriatric nursing. Her impact to patients, families, nursing students, and fellow healthcare workers was deeply felt. She felt great pride in watching her daughter, Stacey, follow in her footsteps in the field of nursing. Carolyn’s other hobbies included traveling, reading, crafting, and gardening. She inherited a green thumb and loved to raise roses as her parents did. After 44 years of service she retired and volunteered for several organizations such as Gift of Life, Red Cross, ROAR at BISD, and the Turban Project, making headscarfs for cancer patients. A true nurse until the end, she wrote in a goodbye letter to her family and read posthumously: “ My charting is finished, and my shift is over”.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Harold Wynne Anderson, Sr. and Bobbie Sue Anderson.
She is survived by her daughter Dr. Stacey Knight and husband Dr. Kami Makki, of New Braunfels, Texas; her grandson Travis McCall, of New Braunfels, Texas; her sister Brenda Guidroz, of Orange, Texas; brother Harold Wynne Anderson, Jr, of Orange, Texas; Gary Knight and wife Barbara, of Spring Branch, Texas, and a niece and nephews.
Cremation will be held under the direction of Claybar Kelley-Watkins in Beaumont with a private memorial held at a later date. In her honor donations made be made to her favorite charity, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, The Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, or The Autism Research Institute.
Social Media