Kambie Perkins Obituary – In the sixth period of my final year at SK, I worked as a gym assistant. I used to go out to the court to shoot hoops at that time, and one day a blonde girl with curly, frizzy hair came up to me and asked if I wanted to play horse with her. Of course, Kambie Thomas was there. We continued playing horse every day after I replied with “of course” and “lol,” and I think I ultimately prevailed.
We lost touch after I left high school, but basketball allowed us to rekindle our relationship. She urged my daughter to join the AAU team she coached because she knew she was a player. Hope has been a Kambie member for a while. Then, she asked me to stand by her and serve as her assistant coach. Unfortunately, covid ruined that year of AAU, so I was never able to coach alongside her; however, we did play against one another in middle school basketball and were beat up.
She then went on to win the middle school basketball championship for the sixth grade. But when I eliminated her and her Campbell County girls team from the 7th grade tournament we were both playing in, I got my comeuppance. She called me after the game, and that is something I will never forget. She told me she had a plan for the opponent I would face in the championship game during our meeting.
When I needed her, she was there. She helped me a lot by sharing some of her moves with me, and she was there for the last game, too, even though we lost despite her presence. We spoke frequently, especially during the basketball season. She would always have the ideal response when I would always complain to her about my children and tell her what was happening with them and what they were doing, and she would always compliment them.
Anyone who can say that about her will always retain a special place in my mind. She had a warm spot in her heart for my kids. The Hamilton family will miss her terribly. It’s still difficult for me to believe that this truly happened.