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Carole was a very strong and determined lady who lived her life to its fullest. She was born on Sept 28, 1942 in Lytton, BC to parents Donald and Anne Robinson. They lived in Lillooet where her father worked as a railroad engineer with the Pacific Great Eastern Railroad (PGE). The family moved when Donald was transferred to Squamish, and that's where Carole spent her early childhood up until she was about 16 years old. Her father was elected as MLA for the riding of Lillooet where he served three terms. In 1958 the railroad was connected through to North Vancouver and Donald plus family were transferred there. Carole completed her last two years of school at North Van High.

In 1960, she enrolled at UBC and about five years later completed a BA majoring in Sociology and Psychology. To pay for her university education, Carole worked summers as a waitress at restaurants in Lake Louise and Banff, developing a passion for outdoor activities such as hiking and skiing. To further pursue that, she joined UBC's Varsity Outdoor Club (VOC) and developed many lifelong friendships there including her future husband, Bruce McKnight.

Carole and Bruce were married on February 5, 1966 in North Vancouver. Bruce was a mineral exploration geophysicist and many work opportunities presented themselves abroad. The same year they got married, the couple embarked upon a series of adventures that would take them around the world. Their journey started in Berkeley, California, the nexus of many cultural movements. They moved on to Toronto and then North Vancouver, where their daughter, Carmen, was born in 1970. That same year they transferred to Sydney, Australia, where their son, David, was born in 1973. The family resided in Suva, Fiji, before returning to Canada in 1974, living in both Calgary and Toronto before finally settling in West Vancouver in 1979.

Carole began her career (with some disruptions caused by the frequent moves) with the BC Ministry of the Attorney General. She worked as a Probation Officer in Kelowna, Nanaimo and Vancouver offices, before becoming a Family Justice Counsellor. In 2003 she created the first Mediation Practicum Project where counsellors in private practice could be mentored to enhance their skills in mediation to become certified by Family Mediation Canada. She finished her career as a Family Justice Mediation Instructor at the Justice Institute of BC, where she developed and instructed both on-line and face-to-face courses. Late in her career, Carole received several awards for service. These included the Governor General's medal for exemplary service and the Susanna Jani award from Mediate BC for Excellence in Mediation.

Carole was predeceased by her parents, and by her siblings, Gary, Patricia and Ron. Carole is survived by her husband of 53 years, Bruce, her daughter and son-in-law, Carmen and Erik Jensen, grandchildren Ryan, Madison and Camryn Jensen in North Vancouver, BC, as well as her son and daughter-in-law, David and Sara McKnight, and grandchildren Ian and Alex McKnight in Newmarket, Ont., and other family in Alberta, all of whom will miss her very much.

Carole's major battle with Ovarian Cancer began seven years ago, involving two major surgeries and several sessions of chemotherapy. She fought valiantly, defying survival expectations, and living to see her 77th birthday, but her struggle ended shortly after on October 2nd, 2019, when she passed away peacefully with family by her side at the North Shore Hospice.

Celebration of Life

A Celebration of Life event to honor Carole's life is planned for:
Tuesday, October 15, 2-5 pm
at the West Vancouver Yacht Club,
5854 Marine Drive, West Vancouver.

To express messages of condolence:
https://www.mckenziefuneralservice.com/memorials/carole-mcknight/3983060/

Consider a donation for Ovarian Cancer Research

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the BC Cancer Foundation, specifically targeted toward the purchase of mass spectrometer equipment, urgently needed for ovarian cancer research. During the month of October, donations toward this equipment are being matched dollar-for-dollar by other ovarian cancer victims and their supporters. Thank you very much for your generous support.