John Laurence Knapp

John Laurence Knapp, beloved husband and father passed away peacefully on November 16, 2018. John was born on September 30, 1935 to the late Joseph Grant Knapp and Carol West Knapp, and is survived by a sister, Sheila Woodard, a nephew, Dan Woodard, his wife, Rhonda Woodard and their daughter, Victoria Woodard. John is survived by the love of his life and mother of his children, Trilbie Ferrell Knapp; son, Laurence Freston Knapp and his wife, Moyenda Mutharika Knapp; his daughter, Paget Ferrell Knapp; and two grandchildren, August Knapp and Christopher Knapp, along with other extended relatives. John received a B.A. in Economics at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado in June of 1957 where he held an assistantship in the Department of Economics. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. John received an M.A. in Economics from Duke University in June of 1960 where he held a graduate assistantship. He met his wife, Trilbie, in Richmond and they were married October 6, 1962. His son, Laurence, was born in August of 1965 in Charlottesville, Virginia while John was attending the University of Virginia. He received a PhD in Economics where his areas of specialization were industrial organization and public finance. His daughter, Paget, was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1968. From 1966-1971 John worked at the Office of Research and Information in Richmond focusing on state and local economic analysis, state and local projection and analysis, statistical coordination and government organization and management. John was a part-time Economics instructor at the University of Richmond from 1962-1972. He was an Economist with the Virginia Division of Industrial Development and planning from 1962-1964 and an Assistant Economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond from 1960-1962. John was Budget Analyst for the Department of Agriculture in 1960. In addition, in 1971, John was Deputy Director in the Division of State Planning and Community Affairs for the State of Virginia in Richmond. His responsibilities included budget preparation, program development and employee relations. The agency was concerned with economic and demographic research. John served as a consultant to the Governor and legislative commissions on tax policies, governmental structure, and the basic school aid formula. In 1973, John and his family moved to Charlottesville where he became Associate Professor on the General Faculty and was Research Director for the Economic Studies Center for the Tayloe Murphy Institute. John also taught graduate and undergraduate courses on local economic analysis and state and local government finances at the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture’s planning program from 1976-1982. In 1976 John became Associate Professor on the general faculty and served as Acting Director of the Tayloe Murphy Institute in the Darden School at the University of Virginia in 1983-1987. He was responsible for management of the Institute which conducted research for government, business, and the public. Major parts of the Tayloe Murphy Institute were merged with the Institute of Government to form the Center for Public Services in 1987 and was named the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service in 1994. John conducted research resulting in many published studies. He taught in the Department of Urban and Environmental Planning. He served on several public boards and was president of many professional associations. He was promoted in 1988 to Professor on the general faculty. John traveled with his family throughout the United States and to England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. When his children grew older, John and Trilbie traveled throughout Europe and many other countries. John and Trilbie especially liked ballroom dancing which was a joy for many years. They enjoyed dancing to and listening to a variety of music. John and Trilbie were avid gardeners, and in his later years, John could often be found outside working in his yard. They enjoyed many art forms, including movies and theatre throughout their marriage as well as many activities with their family and friends. A memorial service and celebration of John’s life will be held at Teague Funeral Home, 2260 Ivy Road, Charlottesville, VA, at 2:00 pm on Saturday, November 24, 2018. The family wishes to extend gratitude to the compassionate medical teams in the Emergency and Neurosurgical Departments at the University of Virginia Hospital.