Helen Marie Knight

April 3, 1950 ~ January 22, 2019
Another Moab legend has left us. Helen Marie Knight suddenly passed away on Tuesday, January 22, 2019 at St. Mary’s in Grand Junction, CO, the youngest daughter of Arthur Ray (Hardwater) and Madolyn Knight.
She was born on April 3, 1950 in Moab, UT. She was born with a lot of energy and maintained it her whole life.
Helen had a long friendship with Bill Caudell.
Later in life she married Jim Hoffman and was later divorced.
One day in 1955 when Helen came home from school she excitedly told her mom that they had named the school after her that day. She was always very proud of that.
Helen loved life and people. No one was a stranger to her. She had the ability to talk to anyone as if she had known them her whole life. Sometimes it felt like she met new people as they drove into town because she seemed to know them before anyone else did.
As a young girl she babysat a lot and she seemed to know most of the kids in town because they were always excited to see her.
She started work at the Western Grill as a junior in high school. She struggled in school but made her best grades when she was working full time as well as going to school full time. She graduated from Grand County High in Moab in 1968.
Helen met Bill Caudell in the late 60’s. They never married but had a daughter, RaeLynn, born on October 30, 1972. RaeLynn was the delight of her life.
Bill moved to Oregon and wasn’t around much during RaeLynn’s up bringing. He passed away when RaeLynn was 16.
About the only time she didn’t live in Moab was when she went Utah State University for six months to become a Title I teacher. She then came home and worked at the elementary school for about three years.
Helen worked at the Midland Telephone company in the mid 80’s.
In combination with her other jobs she worked as a waitress. She was an exceptional one and when the tourists overtook the town, she got to know many of them. Every year when they would come for their visits, they would always look her up.
She never forgot their names. Many would bring her gifts and send her cards from all over the world.
She loved to listen to music, especially Elvis Presley and George Strait. One of her favorite memories was when she was given tickets to a George Strait concert from some good friends. She was planning on going to see him again in February.
Helen learned a love for dancing at an early age from her mom and dad. Any chance she had she would be spinning, swinging, two-stepping, or jitter bugging around the floor. You never knew when you would be her next dance partner.
She was always so proud that she got to dance next to Burt Reynolds in the movie “Fade In.” She would always tell us that she was a little embarrassed because she accidently kicked him. Then she would laugh.
Helen is survived by her daughter, Rae Lynn; her grandchildren, Abby and Jake; her siblings, Jeri (Merald White), Ginger (Garold Beddoes), Kathryn (Dennis Wilberg), and Robert (Kathy) Knight; many nieces and nephews; as well as her many, many friends near and far.
Helen is preceeded in death by her parents; a brother, Don Lyman; and grandnephew, Westley Morgan Ing.
Memorial services will be held Thursday, January 31, 2019 at 11 a.m. at the Moab LDS Stake Center on Locust Lane, with a viewing at 10 a.m. prior to the funeral. There will also be a viewing Wednesday night, January 30, 2019 at the Spanish Valley Mortuary.
Send condolences to the family at www.SpanishValleyMortuary.com