Kelly Ann Knight

Kelly Ann Knight, 34, died July 19, 2019. 

Kelly graduated from Wake Forest University with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and psychology. She later graduated from the Elon University School of Law, earned a master’s degree in English as a second language (ESL), and most recently received an advanced law degree, LLM. in taxation, from The University of Alabama. 

Upon completion of undergraduate school, Kelly lived in Spain for one year, teaching ESL to Spanish children and adults. After returning to the United States, she taught Spanish and ESL in a North Carolina high school near Winston-Salem and worked for a law firm in Greensboro, NC.  While living in Medellin, Colombia, Kelly was legal counsel and majority owner for a tourism business, Medellin Mountains. She also was preparing for the next phase of her career based in a European country and focused on international taxation and law.

Kelly’s family and friends recall her vivaciousness and her ability to communicate effectively. With a warm smile and a wide variety of interests, she could easily strike up a conversation with those around her.  She talked about the latest best-selling books, movies, shows, television shows, fashion trends, technology developments (especially Apple), popular travel destinations, college football (especially Alabama) news, and college basketball (especially Kentucky) developments. Adding creativity and strong organizational skills to these interests made her equally effective in capturing and maintaining the attention of larger audiences.

Kelly also had a knack for engaging people who were naturally shy into a one-on-one conversation and making sure they met her friends and family. She was sensitive to the problems faced by her friends and generously invested her time in helping them resolve their problems.  She also showed compassion to the people wandering aimlessly without a home or country and did what she could to help them.  

Kelly was preceded in death by her premature twin sons, Oliver and Adrian; her maternal grandparents, Olive Ruth (Grandmom) and Danny Goodpaster; paternal grandparents, Inez and Harry Knight; and her uncle, Danny Runyon Goodpaster.

Surviving Kelly are her parents, Ray and Lee Goodpaster Knight of Winston-Salem, North Carolina; her husband, Esteban Bedoya of Medellin, Colombia; her aunt and uncle, Linda and Paul Scholfield of Atlanta, Georgia; special friends John Holder and Kristine Carmines of Greensboro, North Carolina; a host of friends throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America; and her dog, Bama.

She would want you to know that in her eternal home she is guaranteed love, music, and laughter. She will cuddle and play with her twins and have long talks with Grandmom.

Graveside services will be held Sunday, August 4, 2019, at the Fleming County Cemetery in Flemingsburg, Kentucky.  A celebration of life planned by her friends will be held August 24, 2019, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Boone-Nickell Funeral Home is caring for local arrangements.

Friends may offer online condolences at www.boonenickellfuneralhome.com

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