Ellen Kitty Johanne (Carleen) Knight

PORTLAND – Ellen Kitty Johanne (Carleen) Knight died after a brief illness on Feb. 27, 2020, surrounded by family and the caring staff of 75 State Street Assisted Living. She was born on Aug. 16, 1922, in Moss, Norway. Her father brought his young family to America through Ellis Island in 1926.

Upon graduating from Camden (N.J.) Academic High School, she attended business college and became a secretary for the War Production Board during World War II. Wanting a career in music, Ellen attended the Academy of Vocal Arts in Philadelphia where she met her future husband, Lloyd Knight. They were married on Dec. 14, 1946. When Lloyd was offered a position at the new CBS affiliate in Portland in 1954, Ellen retired from the stage (temporarily) and they moved to Maine.

Ellen started the Cape Cottage Nursery School in 1963 on the first floor of the big house on Cottage Lane affectionately known as The Casino, a restaurant and dancehall during the 1920s. Ellen was soloist and choir director for Williston-West Church for many years and taught music to children with cerebral palsy at the Cerebral Palsy Center in Portland.

In the mid-1970s, she returned to the stage and played many roles in productions at the Brunswick Summer Music Theatre. Whether it was tap dancing in “No, No, Nanette,” singing ”You’ll Never Walk Alone” in “Carousel” or playing Golde in “Fiddler on the Roof,” she always received critical acclaim.

In 1978, she became a real estate agent and worked for Mark Stimson Associates, 20th Century Balfour, and Coldwell Banker before she retired. During retirement, she returned to painting. Her acrylics and watercolors fill the homes of many family members and friends. Ellen also wrote a column for the Portland Press Herald called “Chasing Eighty” in which she humorously tackled the challenges of aging.

The family is very grateful to the loving staff at 75 State Street and the many staff and volunteers of Northern Light Hospice who brought her countless hours of comfort and joy.

Living in Cape Elizabeth until 2018, and predeceased by her husband, Lloyd, Ellen is survived by their five children, Everett R. Knight of Palm Coast, Florida; Karla A. Knight and her husband, Tom Murphy, of Maynard, Massachusetts; Roy C. Knight and his wife, Liddy Berry, of Holden, Massachusetts; Cornell F. Knight and his wife, Kay Rand, of Bar Harbor, Maine; and Eric I. Knight and his wife, Ellen, of Cape Elizabeth. She is also survived by many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Visiting hours are from 11am-1pm, March 3, at the Hobbs Funeral Home in South Portland, followed by a celebration of life from 1-2pm and a reception from 2-3:30pm at the Elizabeth Hobbs Hospitality Center next to the funeral home. Burial will be private at a later date.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.hobbsfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Northern Light Home Care and Hospice

PO Box 679

Portland, ME 04104

or to a charity of choice

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