Clyde Knight, known affectionately as Fuzzy to dear friends, was not a real estate agent or broker but Clyde dealt in real estate every day — from the society parties he tended in Park Cities and Preston Hollow homes to the gems and jewels of the fête set he served as sales director for Skibell Fine Jewelry in Preston Center.
The former Kim Dawson model was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, Sept 18, 1955. He acquired his nickname, he told me, because he was born with no hair but a little bit of “fuzz” behind his ears. Thus his grandmother crowned him as “Fuzzy,” which is what close friends called him.
He went to school in Arkansas, but beautiful gems and the jewelry business captured his heart early first in Tulsa and then Dallas, where he moved to join the Kim Dawson Agency as a model. He was an extremely handsome, dapper man but his heart was as big as Texas.
“He was the epitome of a loving people person,” says his best friend Ben Snyder.
In Dallas, Clyde also worked as a personal assistant, which is how he met the late Charles Skibell, founder of our own Skibell Fine Jewelry. Charles and Clyde became fast friends, and Clyde began working in the high-end Preston Center estate jewelry store in 2003. Drawing on his experience as a Kim Dawson model and innate excellent taste, Clyde quickly developed a strong book of business, which included many real estate agents.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved Clyde Knight, Skibell’s Knight in Shining Armor,” said Lyn Skibell, who now manages the store after losing her husband to cancer four years ago.
To Lyn, Clyde was not just a dedicated employee; he was family to the store’s employees and a cherished friend.
“His warmth, knowledge, and unwavering commitment to serving his beloved customers over the years made him an irreplaceable part of our Skibell Fine Jewelry family,” says Lyn.
“His legacy lives on in the countless memories we shared, ” says Skibell.
A private Celebration of Life will be held on Oct. 14, 2023, in Preston Center. In his memory, Skibell Fine Jewelry has created Clyde’s Candle, sales of which will benefit one of his favorite charities, DFW Rescue Me, a cause that was near and dear to Clyde Knight’s big-as-Texas heart.
