Timothy Knapp

Timothy "Tim" R. Knapp, age 65, of Faribault, MN, passed away on Wednesday, March 26, 2014 at the Methodist Hospital in Rochester, MN, following an extended illness.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, April 3, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. at the Divine Mercy Catholic Church, 139 Mercy Drive, Faribault. Interment will be at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis, with full military honors.

Visitation will be held at the Parker Kohl Funeral Home & Crematory in Faribault on Wednesday from 4:00 - 7:00 p.m. and on Thursday for one hour prior to the services at the church.

The family prefers that memorials be directed to the River Bend Nature Center in memory of Tim.

Timothy Richard Knapp was born on August 27, 1948 in Fort Dodge, Iowa to Richard A. and Catherine L. (Daly) Knapp. Tim attended Newman High School in Mason City, IA. After high school Tim served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War. After his discharge from the Navy, Tim attended Mankato State University and earned his degree in Elementary Education. On July 26, 1974 he was united in marriage to Olga Duran in Clear Lake, IA. After their marriage, Tim taught for 18 years at the Faribault Regional Center until its closing and then worked 18 years as a Manager for the Department of Corrections Faribault until his retirement. In retirement Tim was working as a volunteer naturalist at the River Bend Nature Center. Tim was a member of the Knights of Columbus Council 889 and the American Legion Post 43, both in Faribault.

Tim regarded his grandchildren, Dominic 5, Madison 3 and Jameson 2 as a Special Blessing and liked spending time with them. In his spare time he liked to relax in the garden and he was an avid reader. Tim was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia over 4 months ago and came to regard the past few months as a very special time of his life, spending extra time with his family and was in touch with lifelong friends. Tim was encouraged by the many cards and notes he received. He loved life and felt very blessed; his only regret being that it was coming to an end. To his many friends and loved ones, we offer our heartfelt thanks.

He is survived by his wife, Olga of Faribault; three children, Ana Knapp of Minneapolis, Andrew (Kari) Knapp of Fort Collins, CO, and Michael (Anna) Knapp of Minneapolis; three grandchildren, Dominic, Madison, and Jameson Knapp; seven siblings, Toni (Tom) Ebeling of Clear Lake, IA, Tom (Susan) Knapp of Fort Dodge, IA, Margaret Happe of Phoenix, AZ, Richard (Mary) Knapp of Des Moines, IA, Robert (Christine) Knapp of Albuquerque, NM, Caty (Jon) Juhlin of Cedar Falls, IA, and Michael (Rebekah) Knapp of Dallas, TX; and many nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents.