Wanda Josephine Knight “Mammy”1944 – 2026 Known by many names -- Wanda, Jo, Joey, Mom, Mammy, Aunt Jo – she was loved by all. She passed away on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at Baptist East, surrounded by her daughters. 

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. 

Left to cherish her memory are her daughters and their families: Ronetta (Todd) Miller and Cayla Reed; Danyale (Jason) Rich, Allison (Brandon), and Sydney (Alex) Ribail; and Kimberly (Bobby) Bindner. She also leaves two daughters “by choice” and 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. Her sister, Ruby (Danny) Lawless, along with Ruby’s children and their families, Jo Lawless, Youlanda Carrico, and Danny Ray Lawless, Jr., hold a lifetime of memories close to their hearts. 

Joey is also survived by two sisters-in-law, Jeannette (Donald) Knight and Eileen Bottoms, and one brother-in-law, William (Lana) Knight, and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her mother, a brother, James Robert Hood, and her husband, Ronnie. 

Someone once said that “a person is not gone as long as their name is spoken.” While she is no longer with us in body, her name will be spoken for years to come as we share our memories, laughs, and tears. 

Her visitation in Louisville, will be from 2:00 – 8:00 p.m. EST, Wednesday, October 7, 2026, at Owen Funeral Home, 5317 Dixie Highway. The visitation in Columbia, will be from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. CST, on Friday, October 9, 2026, at Stotts-Phelps-McQueary Funeral Home, 210 Greensburg St. The service will begin at 1:00 p.m. CST.