Deceased September 6, 2019
View alumni profile (log in required)
Read obituary
In Memory
Lewis Emerson “Kif” Knight, 84, of Durham, N.H., died Sept. 6, 2019, of systemic amyloidosis, having survived 25 years after being treated for widespread melanoma. He is survived by his wife, Anne Haskell Knight; three children, Christopher Knight ’85, Catherine Haig and Julie Swart; and 10 grandchildren, including Lauren Knight ’20. He was predeceased by his brother, Joseph “Smitty” Knight ’56. He was an intelligent, empathetic, funny, unpretentious man who laughed and carried others with him in laughter. An enduring quality of Kif’s character was his loyalty and dedication to his friends and family.
At Amherst, Kif distinguished himself as an outstanding defensive guard on the winning (17–3) varsity basketball team, as treasurer and vice president of Chi Psi fraternity and as co-chair (with Jack Wilber ’57) of the Fraternity Business Management Committee, improving financial and contractual systems under their leadership. Kif graduated with a B.A. in mathematics and with a passion for teaching mathematical concepts, especially to those with math anxiety.
After serving in the U.S. Army and Reserves, he earned master’s (MAT, Harvard) and doctoral (Ed.D., Stanford) degrees in math education. He obtained teaching positions at Winchester High School (1962) and then at the Thompson School (University of New Hampshire), where he was named Teacher of the Year. He served on the faculty of UNH (Manchester and Durham) until 2005, where he received the Balomenos Memorial Award (1997) honoring teaching excellence in New England. He also edited math textbooks for Addison-Wesley Publishing.
Peter N. Walsh ’57