Dennis and Sylvia with Carolynn Alderman, Sylvia’s sister.
When Dennis and Sylvia Knight first set foot on the walking paths around King’s Grant’s lake, Dennis looked out across the water and said simply, “I could live here.”
At the time, the couple wasn’t sure where retirement would take them. Dennis, a retired Baptist minister, and Sylvia, his wife of now 57 years, had spent decades serving congregations across Virginia and North Carolina. From Madison to Halifax to Martinsville, their life together was built around faith, family, and service.
After years in a three-story house in Martinsville, the idea of simplifying their lives and letting go of ladders and leaves started to sound more like peace than sacrifice. “We loved that three-story home in Martinsville,” Sylvia said. “It was perfect when the grandchildren were little. But as they grew older, we knew it was time to think about what was next.”
Their children also encouraged the move. “They saw this as a gift to them,” Dennis said with a smile. “They know we’re taken care of here. It gives them peace of mind.”
The Knights had visited many members of Dennis’s congregation at King’s Grant over the years, thirty-five by their count. They knew the community well, but when a rare lakefront cottage became available, the timing felt almost preordained. “Jamie called and said, ‘We have a house on the lake,’” Sylvia recalled. “When we walked through it, we knew this was home.”
After a renovation that turned the once-galley kitchen into a bright, open space, the house became a reflection of the life they have built: welcoming, warm, and full of light. Their home is a frequent gathering spot for friends and neighbors, just as their church homes once were.
King’s Grant, they said, has given them both new opportunities and new friendships. They have discovered a love of billiards (“We’d never played before!” Sylvia laughed), started a dominoes group that meets at Frank’s Place twice a month, and volunteer together with the Activities Committee. They even sometimes call bingo on Saturdays for apartment residents, a small act of joy that connects them to others. And one of their greatest joys is serving on the Gift Committee.
Faith remains a quiet thread through their daily life. Their street, they noted, is home to several retired ministers, two Baptist and one Presbyterian.
Life at King’s Grant has also brought the Knights closer to family. Sylvia’s sister, Carolyn Alderman, moved to the community five years after they did and now lives just two doors down. “It’s the closest we’ve lived to each other since she got married,” Sylvia said. “It’s been such a blessing to have her here.”
The sisters see each other often, whether it is sharing meals, attending campus events, or simply stopping by to chat. “It’s comforting knowing she’s right there,” Sylvia said. “We can check in on each other, but we also give each other space. It just feels right.”
For Dennis and Sylvia, King’s Grant represents both continuity and renewal, a place where they can remain active and independent while surrounded by the care and community they value most. “We’re comfortable here,” Dennis said. “It’s a good size home, no steps, and even though we’re still active, it’s nice knowing if we ever need healthcare, it’s right across the street.”
After more than half a century together, their life remains centered on the same things that brought them here: faith, family, and gratitude. “We’ve met so many good people since we moved here,” Sylvia said. “People we might never have crossed paths with otherwise.”
From the first walk around the lake to the life they’ve built beside it, Dennis and Sylvia have found what so many search for: a place to love, to serve, and to simply be at home.
