Howard Knight

Howard Knight passed away at home in Hailey, ID on Dec. 25th, 2014.

Howard was born Oct. 12, 1945 in Bexhill-on-Sea, East Sussex, England. His extended family moved to Catsfield, where Howard attended primary school and played in the hills surrounding Battle Abbey. It was there, living in Yew Tree Cottage, a thatched-roof home built in 1570, where the seeds of his love for gardening were planted.

Howard and his sister, Linda, sailed across the Atlantic on the Queen Mary 2 to join their parents in Ontario, Canada in 1954.

In 1956, they purchased a new Ford Customline Coupe, loaded it with camping gear and drove West – collecting many memories of adventures, including, Mt. Rushmore and sharing dinners with the bears in Yellowstone Park. They began their new American life in the sunny orchard region of Riverside, California.

Howard lived and loved the beach lifestyle of Orange County and Mexico, working on boats and construction. The Wood River Valley appeared on his radar in 1966, and he worked back and forth for a few years. Then, after becoming a proud parent of first and only daughter, he switched to mountain life. In 1972, he purchased two acres of rural Hailey property on Quigley Road and his gardener/landscaper/craftsman emerged. This property brought years of enjoyment to family and friends. Traditions were planted including, huge Christmas celebrations, summer croquet, Easter eggs hunts, and 4th of July madness.

In 1982, he began a new creative project, another home next door in Marvin Gardens. Howard married Carol Chalmers in July of 1983, and two boys were added to their special lifestyle. The family enjoyed many sailing adventures on Redfish Lake, the Sea of Cortez, and the British Virgin Islands and, recently, beach trips to Puerto Escondido, Mexico. There were also new additions to the house, expanded gardens, and always the perfectly mowed croquet court.

Howard will be remembered most for his outstanding wit and humor, appreciation of design and the beauty of nature, bountiful knowledge of history and literature, many heartfelt friendships, and his legendary laughter.

Howard is survived by his wife, Carol, daughter, Damon (Isaac) Weinberg, sons, Graham and Charles Gordon, his dear sister Linda, and Aunt Rita, their children and grandchildren; also including Carol’s sisters, their husbands, and children. We all cherish wonderful memories of Howard.

A celebration of Howard’s life will take place in the summer, exact date and time to be determined. Donations can be made in his memory to Shriners Hospitals for Children.