ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, March 22, 1996 TAG: 9603220050
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: DONNA ALVIS-BANKS STAFF WRITER
Christiansburg folks knew Angie Knowles as that "little bitty woman driving the station wagon full of kids."
She was only 4 feet 11, but everyone looked up to her.
Mostly, we admired Angie for her commitment to her work. She had the most important job in the world and she excelled at it.
She was a mom.
Actually, a super mom.
Many times I picked up a ringing phone to hear Angie's distinctive voice on the other end. She spoke with rapid enthusiasm and with a hint of her Spanish accent.
She would call about the Halloween party for the kindergartners.
"We need paper plates, cups, stickers, cookies and some of those little baggies full of popcorn. ... Would you be able to bring something?"
She would call about the upcoming soccer season.
"We're lining up parents to bring the orange slices and the drinks. What date suits you best?"
She would call about the PTA's spaghetti supper.
"We need servers and dishwashers and people to make goodies for the bake sale. I know you're a working mom, but could you spare some time?"
She was always so grateful to hear a hearty "Yes!"
Whenever I hung up the phone after a quick conversation with Angie, I rushed to my calendar to make a note of promises to keep. She was the kind of person who made you feel needed.
She was a wonderful mother to her own four children, but I think her mothering extended to all the children she touched in her many roles as baby sitter, classroom aide and coach.
On cold October Saturday mornings, you could expect to see a row of autos lined up alongside the athletic field at Christiansburg Middle School.
Moms like me sat inside cozy vans holding steaming mugs of coffee. We watched through frosted windshields as our children scooted up and down the soccer field.
Angie Knowles was on that soccer field.
Bundled up in her sweats, Angie chased runaway soccer balls and dispersed directions to her pint-sized athletes. You could see little steam puffs coming from her lips as she cheered from the sidelines. She was quick with a hug or a high five, too.
And there was that unfailing sense of humor.
While other coaches developed ulcers and sprouted gray hairs worrying over headstrong kids, Angie just laughed.
At the end of the soccer season, she awarded trophies to her team. She had something clever to say about each player.
I still remember her words to my son as she handed him his keepsake:
"To Dee - no matter what position you give him, he always plays striker!"
Soccer, basketball, softball - Angie carted kids to sporting events year round. She was the ultimate taxi driver.
Public speaking frightened her, but when the PTA needed a president, Angie found herself at the lectern, presiding.
She helped initiate the "After Prom Celebration" at Christiansburg High School, an event designed to steer teens away from drugs and alcohol so that prom night could truly be a night to remember.
When Angie Knowles was called on to do something for kids, you could count on her response - always, always a hearty "Yes!"
We should all be grateful for that.
We should all be inspired by it.
We should all appreciate what a difference a little bitty woman driving a station wagon full of kids can make.
Donna Alvis-Banks, an editorial assistant in the Roanoke Times New River Bureau, is a longtime friend of Angie Knowles.
LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Angie Knowles in 1994. color.by CNB