12/05/2025
We are deeply saddened to notify you that one of our fellow KI employees, Danny Hankins, passed away on November 30, 2025. Out of respect for Danny and his family, we will be keeping any details of his passing private.
KI was very fortunate to have Danny on the KI team for 30 years. Danny proudly served as the Senior Design Engineer in High Point. He was passionate about taking a furniture design and successfully making it affordably produced by all on the plant floor and ensuring KI’s vendors could successfully provide us the appropriate parts setting all of us up to succeed while understanding and remaining true to the furniture designer’s aesthetic and design intent. We will long remember Danny’s dedication and loyalty to KI and his teammates/work family, his energy, tenacity, and ability to leap tall hurdles thrown at him time and time again. One of his favorite sayings over the years, which he kept posted by his workstation was "Hard we do immediately the impossible takes a little longer” and he lived this saying happily and positively for all his people for many, many years which has always been a good reminder for a lot of us during our tenure here at KI-HN.
Danny was a caring, co-worker and family man who had genuine concern for his fellow employees. He was a wonderful mentor and friend to so many. He enjoyed boating, motorcycling, and was an avid motor sports enthusiast. In addition, Danny had a passion for animals and animal rescue.
Please click the following link to view Danny’s obituary:
https://www.cumbyfuneral.com/obituaries/Danny-Ray-Hankins?obId=46525294
If you wish to attend Danny’s visitation, the details are as follows:
Location: Visitation at Cumby Family Funeral Service - Archdale
Date/Time: Tuesday, December 9, 2025, from 5pm-7pm
When these truly unfortunate situations occur, it is KI’s practice to work with the family of the employee who has passed on how they would like this information communicated to ensure that we are respecting their preferences. It was Danny’s wish and his family’s wish that we send out a communication to his KI family and friends.
Attached to this email are some photos of Danny that capture some of the essence of who he was at KI:
