Estelle Knight

On the evening of Monday, August 13, 2018, the Knight family lost their matriarch, Susan “Estelle” Chandler Knight. Her final days were spent surrounded by her children.

Estelle was born to Walter and Ludie Chandler on September 25, 1925, in Little Rock, Mississippi. She grew up in a loving home, the fifth of ten children. Estelle or “Tell” as her papa called her, enjoyed sharing stories about her childhood, such as picking cotton on their farm, playing jokes on her siblings, and enjoying her mama’s cooking.

After graduating from Beulah Hubbard High School, she moved to Gulfport, where she began working at her sister and brother-in-law’s store. Upon finishing technical school, Estelle worked as a teller for Hancock Bank on Keasler Air Force Base. During this time she met her future husband of 53 years, Elray John Knight. “Ray,” a border patrol agent, first spotted this tall, pretty blonde from his office window and their courtship began shortly thereafter.

Estelle and Ray were married on June 13, 1945 in Gulfport and they moved to Ray’s hometown of Lake Charles, Louisiana, where they raised five children: Suzanne, Stephanie, Melanie, Venise and John. They enjoyed many things together as a family, including camping, traveling, gardening and most of all, perfecting family recipes. Estelle was a homemaker and later worked at Mullers Department Store and Pete’s Gift Shop.

Estelle had a lifelong love of traveling. She visited more than 25 countries across four continents, and at 87 years old, she even rode a camel in the Holy Land and dipped her toe in the Dead Sea.

Early in her marriage, Estelle converted to Catholicism and was devoted to her faith. She was a member of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral Altar Society as well as the Catholic Family Movement and the PTA for Immaculate Conception School, St. Charles Academy and St. Louis High School. Her family has vivid memories of her reading daily from her Bible and kneeling at her bedside every night to pray her rosary

Through the years, Estelle developed her artistic talent of painting. She began with oil painting and later expanded into watercolors and porcelain painting. Many of her grandchildren recall painting sessions with Grandmother in her sunroom. Her artwork is now cherished as family heirlooms.

Her family and friends will lovingly remember Estelle as a person of grace, beauty and kindness. She loved laughter and enjoyed inducing it in loved ones through April Fools pranks, dressing up for Halloween and other antics. She was particularly fond of sharing nursery rhymes, songs and stories with her family and friends until the last days of her life.

Her legacy lives on in those she leaves behind: her children, Suzanne Porche’ (Glenn), Stephanie Couste’ (Tom), Melanie Pesson, Venise Ortego (Rick), and John Knight; her grandchildren, Kim Porche’ Sillyman (Randy), Philip Porche’, Thomas Couste’ (Jennifer), Jeanne Couste’ Woods (Seth), Anise Pesson Morien (Shane), Chanda Pesson Shepherd (Blaine), Haley Pesson, Lindley Pesson Franks (Wade), Leigha Ortego (Thomas), Monette Ortego Sheridan (Brian), and Julianne Ortego; her great-grandchildren, Savannah Sillyman, Lape, Gabrielle Sillyman, Lauren Couste’, Grant Couste’, Andrew Woods, Joseph Woods, Noah Woods, Chelsie Morein Head, Griffin Morein, Lori Kate Morein, Jacob Shepherd, Chandler Pesson, Jolie Franks, Corbin Franks, Mila Franks, River Franks and Leo Sheridan. She leaves behind her sisters, Elizabeth Martin and Jessie Ritchie, both of Gulfport.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband Elray; parents Walter and Ludie; sisters Sammie Kahler, Newell Viator and Catherine Phifer; brothers Cobern Chandler, Boots Chandler, W.S. Chandler and Victor Chandler; and grandson John Richard Ortego, Jr.

Visitation is from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Thursday, August 16, 2018 with Rosary at 6:30 p.m. Visitation will continue on Friday, August 17, 2018, at the funeral home at 9 a.m. until leaving for the church for the funeral. A funeral mass will be held at Our Lady Queen of Heaven Catholic Church at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at Consolota Cemetery under the direction of Johnson Funeral Home.

Estelle’s family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Villa Maria who became a loving part of our family, Heart of Hospice who supported us through mother’s journey in her last days, and to the Imperial Health Cardiovascular Specialists and Evangeline Home Health for their wonderful care.

Memorial donations may be made in Estelle’s name to Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church.