Wanda Josephine Knight “Mammy”, 82, of Louisville, KY passed away on Saturday, October 3, 2026 at Baptist East, surrounded by her daughters.
Known by many names -- Wanda, Jo, Joey, Mom, Mammy, Aunt Jo – she was loved by all. She was born in Adair County, Kentucky, and lived there until after high school when she moved to Washington, D.C., and then Louisville, Kentucky.
Joey and her sister were raised by a single mother, Verdie Hood, when such things were virtually unheard of. The three of them lived with Granny Loy surrounded by aunts, uncles, and many cousins. Above all, the three were bound together by fierce love and loyalty. Those early years left an indelible mark. Nothing made “Mammy” happier than to be surrounded by family and friends.
She married her high school sweetheart, Ronald Knight, in 1966. They started a family shortly thereafter. Three daughters followed by a lifetime of beautiful memories.
Joey and Ronnie were married for 58 years before his death.
In addition to being an adoring wife, daughter, sister, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, great-aunt, and great-great-aunt, Joey worked for several years at General Electric. She later worked at Churchill Downs, enjoying the many
people she met each day.
SURVIVORS:
Her daughters & their families: Ronetta (Todd) Miller and Cayla Reed; Danyale (Jason) Rich, Allison (Brandon), and Sydney (Alex) Ribail; and Kimberly (Bobby) Bindner
2 daughters “by choice” & their families: Paula (Eric) Newman, Kyle, Ryan (Morelia), and Cole (Maya); and Karen
(Ronnie) McDonough, Gracie, Nicki (J.P) Holston, Hayden, and Nolan, Kenneth (Katie) Slayton, Dallas and Hudson
1 sister: Ruby (Danny) Lawless, along with Ruby’s
children and their families: Jo Lawless, Youlanda Carrico, and Danny Ray Lawless, Jr.
2 sisters-in-law: Jeannette (Donald) Knight and Eileen
Bottoms
Brother-in-law: William (Lana) Knight
Many nieces & nephews
She was preceded in death by her mother, a brother, James Robert Hood, and her husband, Ronnie.
Visitation: 2:00pm-8:00pmET on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 at Owen Funeral Home, 5317 Dixie Highway, Louisville, KY
Funeral Service: Friday, October 9, 2026 at 1:00pmCT at Stotts-Phelps-McQueary Funeral Home in Columbia in Columbia, KY
Local Visitation: Friday beginning at 9:00amCT at Stotts-Phelps-McQueary Funeral Home
