Shannon Yvonne Knight

Mrs. Shannon Yvonne Knight, 80, died Tuesday, October 25, 2022, in Crystal Springs, MS. The funeral will be Monday, October 31, 2022, at 2:00 P.M. in the chapel of Waller Funeral Home with Dr. Eddie Gandy officiating. Visitation will be held prior to the service beginning at 12:00 Noon. Burial will follow in Eastover Memorial Cemetery.

Shannon was born on July 29, 1942, to the late Edna Earl and Jess Gandy, formerly of West Point. She graduated from West Point High School and continued her education at The University of Mississippi and graduated with BA and M.Ed. degrees in Education and was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society. Shannon taught in the Oxford City School District for 30 years, where she was awarded Oxford Elementary Teacher of the Year 2000-2001. She and her husband, Gene, have been members of the Mississippi Ornithological Society (MOS) for 35 years and Shannon served as President for two terms. Together they were awarded the prestigious Tucker Award for their significant contributions to MOS and Mississippi birding. For years they traveled extensively across the United States enjoying their birding hobby. She loved her pets (mostly cats) dearly, and even the local raccoons! Shannon was an annual contributor to the local animal shelter.

Shannon is survived by her husband of 42 years, Gene Knight of Oxford, MS; two daughters, Cindy Woodall (Richard) of Madison, MS and Tonya McLendon (Charles) of Crystal Springs, MS; her two brothers, Dr. Eddie Gandy (Carmen) of Spring Hill, FL and Jess Gandy (Bertha) of Alba, TX; as well as nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Shannon died peacefully in her sleep at her daughter’s home. She had valiantly fought Parkinson’s Disease for 16 years. A special thanks to her recent beloved friends who took such loving care of her; Joyce Hilliard, Tamaria Tyson, Emma Bell and Debra Bell.

Expressions of sympathy or memorial contributions in Shannon’s memory may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation, 200 SE 1st Street, Suite 800, Miami, FL 33131 or online at https://www.parkinson.org/, or to the Oxford Animal Resource Center, 413 McElroy Drive, Oxford, MS 38655.