Norman Knight, who died Oct. 13 at age 26 of complications associated with autism, established himself as the general confrere of the Renaissance at Blue Spruce Townhomes, ruling the annual picnic with a microphone and hot-dog tongs.
“Norman was the honorary emcee of the community,” said Heather Byes, who coordinates the Northwest Neighborhood of Lowry news e-mail. “The picnic won’t be the same without him. He said hello to everyone, made sure everyone felt comfortable. So many people are sad that he passed. He was such a joy and such a wonderful soul.”
Diagnosed with autism when he was almost 4 years old, he grew up in Chicago, the third son of Dortha and Norman Allen Knight.
When Knight was 14, his father died of cancer, leaving the family emotionally and financially exhausted. Knight took the loss hard. Already stressed by taunts from others at school and on the streets, he withdrew even further.
Then a car accident left one of his brothers with a brain injury that required full-time nursing care. Dortha Knight decided to move to Denver, hoping for a fresh start.
“And in Denver, Norman started to excel,” his mother said.
He thrived at Abraham Lincoln High School and took enormous pride that he graduated with a cap and gown.
Four years ago, when Dortha Knight moved to the Renaissance at Blue Spruce Townhomes, a northwest Denver affordable housing community, Norman Knight found his element.
“I don’t even know how to explain Norman – he was everything here,” said Christina Wallace, the townhomes’ manager and the Knight family’s neighbor. “He just has that spirit that takes over. He wanted to help so much that he took over the hot-dog cooking at our picnic. At Christmas, he was my elf helper. He just wanted to be involved in anything and everything.”
Dortha Knight was delighted and surprised at her son’s transformation into an ebullient, gregarious young man. He used a walkie-talkie wherever he went.
In the summer, Norman Knight escorted the community’s children to the swimming pool and alerted them when curfew approached. He helped neighbors carry bags of groceries and knew the most efficient RTD bus routes to Denver’s libraries, which he visited on a daily basis after completing his housekeeping job at the Colorado Convention Center.
He enjoyed checking out videotapes and DVDs featuring the PBS character Arthur, the Nickelodeon character Doug and classic Three Stooges comedies.
The Lowry Northwest community, which spans from the residents in palatial homes to those in rent-assisted housing, held a memorial picnic in Norman Knight’s honor Oct. 21. The menu included hot dogs.
Besides his mother, he is survived by siblings Elzie Knight of Denver, Kenya Sims of Chicago and Jacquelyn Sims of Denver.
Staff writer Claire Martin can be reached at 303-954-1477 or cmartin@denverpost.com.
