Donald R. Knapp ’63

Don Knapp, an avid family man, athlete, and business executive, died in his wife's arms Sept. 24, 1997, after a three-year battle with colon cancer. He died at his daughter Jennifer's home in Chelmsford, Mass., fulfilling a vow to live until Jenny's baby was born.

Blessed with unquenchable enthusiasm, he had a successful career in Cambridge, Mass. (IBM, Index Systems, General Cinema) and in Chicago (First ChicagoFirst Card), and he always made family a priority.

Don was valedictorian of his high school class (Scotch Plains-Fanwood, N.J.) and Phi Beta Kappa. He went on to a master's in business at Stanford, where he and Bonnie began married life. An eager outdoorsman, Don loved camping, hiking, and skiing in the White Mountains of New Hampshire with his girls. He also enjoyed sailing, golfing, and playing bridge. With special pride he looked back on his days at Tower Club and on the fabled Scrubby Guns of jayvee basketball in the early 1960s, when a knee injury abbreviated his career.

Besides Bonnie, he leaves three daughters, Kristen, Jennifer, and Sally; two sons-in-law, Joe Flynn and Omar Hernandez; and two granddaughters, Caroline MacRae Flynn and Alina Grace Hernandez, who was born one week before he died.

The Class of 1963