Birth Date:
1930-05-05
Deceased Date:
2014-05-03
Obituary:
KNIGHT, Florence P. (nee Androsoff)
May 5, 1930 – Krydor, Saskatchewan
May 3, 2014 – Calgary, Alberta
With the greatest sadness we announce the passing of Florence P. Knight of Calgary, who passed away after a long illness at the Foothills Medical Centre on Saturday, May 3, 2014, just two days short of her 84th birthday.
She was born Florence P. Androsoff on May 5, 1930, at Krydor, Saskatchewan, the first-born of Pete and Tina Androsoff. Raised on her parents' family farm near Blaine Lake, Florence learned the love of "family and farm" from a young age. She walked several miles to and from school, later riding horseback or running a horse-drawn cutter alone to and from her studies, as dust or snow-bound roads allowed. Moving with her family to Saskatoon during the Second World War, Florence graduated from Bedford Collegiate, then attended Saskatoon Secretarial School for two years, becoming qualified as a stenographer. Soon after, Florence was employed in the billing department, Saskatoon Dairy Pool. Making the move to Calgary in 1948, Florence was offered a secretarial position at Western Grocers Ltd., where she later met and married Raymond Knight of Crossfield, Alberta.
For three years, Florence and Ray managed the Androsoff farm at Blaine Lake, then tenant- farmed for one year on the Walter Knight farm, before purchasing the Miller McCullogh farm at Allingham, Alberta. It was during these years that Florence and Ray also had three children, while raising barley and beef cattle under the C U BAR brand. On a mixed farm-cattle ranch that did not have telephone service or modern indoor facilities, Florence kept the books, cooked and cleaned, drove trucks and heavy machinery during the harvest, raised her family and managed day-to-day business affairs for her loving husband, Ray, while relying heavily on the Paul and McDonald Livestock Sales report, broadcast every week-day on CFCN radio through the 1950s and 1960s. She reasoned that it would make better sense to hire a girl to cook and baby-sit while Florence and Ray brought in the harvest, vaccinated, branded and administered to their growing herd, rather than employing a hired man.
Selling their Allingham holdings in 1967, Florence and Ray purchased the Arnold Lawson Farm at Bowden, Alberta, and began expanding their modest holdings there. In 1968, Florence briefly worked at Bowden Nursery, before being hired to co-manage the Resource Centre at Innisfail Junior and Senior High School, under the direction of Principal Joe von Stein. Two years later, Ray and Florence moved their family to Calgary, where Florence was briefly employed at Marion Carson School. Later, Florence was offered a secretarial position at the University of Calgary. Twenty-three years later, Florence retired as head secretary to the Dean of Electrical Engineering, University of Calgary.
After a "severance of access" to a beloved granddaughter – at a time when Florence and Ray should have been quietly enjoying retirement with their family – Florence was elevated to the position of National Director, Alberta Office for the Canadian Grandparents Rights Society. As a result of her daily direction and tireless efforts, Florence successfully lobbied for changes to be made in family law, that grandparents would be recognized not only as "persons" before the law, but also deemed "necessary in a grandchild's life," for all time, in Canada. During her 14 years as a grandparents advocate, Florence was asked for advice by federal and provincial ministers of State, Senators and Jurists struggling to find improvements to family access, post-divorce, for all parties concerned. Although she would bear witness to hundreds of grandparents successfully re-gaining access to beloved grandchildren in Alberta, Florence would never again be reunited with her "lost" granddaughter, through no fault of her own.
With Ray's passing in July 2006, after having served as her husband's primary caregiver for three difficult years- Florence did all she could for her remaining family; her door was always open to family and friends, her warmth sincere, her smile genuine and welcoming, the food prepared on her table by her own hand for all to share. In the last four years of her life, Florence often travelled to and from the United States, often in the company of a dear friend, Bill Fylik, for many weeks' duration. She returned from these vacations animated, always happy to be back amongst family. "Family" was everything in her life, and she always had her family's best interests at heart, first and foremost. Florence's legacy cannot be adequately measured, for the impact her life's work had on so many affected family members-from families she never even knew – located virtually everywhere in this country.
Florence Knight is survived by her three children, Ken (Olga) Knight, Darrell (Barb) Knight and Linda Knight; grandchildren, Jason, Jessica, Oscar, James, Gracy, Sara, Marian, Carolina, Ulyses, Kenneth, Hunter, River, Arthur and great-grandchildren, Michaela, Yasmin, Oscar, Julian, Tailah, Mia, as well as her brother, Lawrence (Roberta) Androsoff of Saskatoon.
Those wishing to pay their respects may do so at McINNIS & HOLLOWAY'S Chapel of the Bells (2720 Centre Street North) on Friday, May 9, 2014 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. A Celebration of Florence's Life will be held at McINNIS & HOLLOWAY'S, Chapel of the Bells (2720 Centre Street North) on Saturday, May 10, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. Graveside Service to follow at Crossfield Cemetery. The family would like to thank the Foothills Medical Centre Dr's. Geoghegan and McKenna and the staff on Units 62, 72 and 81 as well as the staff of Bow View Manor for their attention and care to Florence Knight. Due to family allergies, Florence's family requests that you do not smoke before coming to the service or at the cemetery. Condolences may be forwarded through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. In living memory of Florence Knight, a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Chapel of the Bells, 2720 CENTRE STREET NORTH, Telephone: 1-800-661-1599.
