Rindge, NH – Carole Anne (Winn) Knight, age 89, of Rindge, New Hampshire, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 15, 2026, after a period of declining health.
Carole was born on November 16, 1936, in Clinton, Massachusetts, and was the daughter of Esther (Hardy) Bailey. She attended Clinton Public Schools before graduating from South Lancaster Academy. She went on to pursue higher education at Atlantic Union College in South Lancaster, Massachusetts, where she met her former husband, Kendall Gifford.
Carole began working at just fourteen years old, serving as a bookkeeper and housekeeper for the Carter family, who owned the property in Boylston, Massachusetts, now known as Tower Hill Botanic Garden. Throughout the years, she especially enjoyed her work with Park Construction in Fitzwilliam, NH; Asher Construction in Sharon, NH; and Beech Hill Treatment Center in Dublin, NH.
Carole was happiest when she was barefoot! She enjoyed relaxing to the music of the Brigham Young Choirs, and her many talents included gardening, playing the piano, sewing, knitting, and cooking. Her carrot cake was always a hit at any gathering. She had an endless love for her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, as well as for her former husband of twenty-six years, Bob Knight Sr., who passed away on May 20 of this year.
Carole leaves behind her sisters, Janice (Bailey) Murphy and her husband, Frank, and Joanne (Bailey) Dargis and her husband, Denis, all of Leominster, MA. She was predeceased by her brother, Kenneth Bailey, who is survived by his wife, Lynn.
Carole is survived by her five children: Craig Gifford of Paris, ME; Dawn Gifford of Lancaster, MA; Judith (Gifford) Cormier and her husband, Bill, of Pepperell, MA; Brian Gifford of Nowata, OK; and Robert Knight Jr. of Rindge, NH. She also leaves behind nine grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren, all of whom she was immensely proud of and loved dearly.
Family and friends are warmly invited to attend calling hours on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at Cournoyer Funeral Home, 33 River St., Jaffrey, NH 03452.
A graveside service will be held on Thursday, October 29, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at Hillside Cemetery, Goddard Road, Rindge, NH 03461.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Carole’s name may be made to Monadnock Kitty Rescue, 11 Plantation Drive, Jaffrey, NH 03452. To share a memory with Carole’s family, or to leave a condolence, please visit www.cournoyerfh.com.
Click here to sign the guest book or honor their memory with flowers, donations, or other heartfelt tributes