Joan Elsie Knapp

Joan Elsie Knapp passed into eternal life on Saturday, February 25, 2017, at the age of 81. She was born Joan Elsie Pantell in San Francisco, CA, on October 4, 1935. An only child, Joan moved with her parents to Merced, CA for her senior year of high school and attended Merced High School, where she graduated with her future husband, Merle Knapp in 1953.

Joan moved to Fresno, CA in 1953, to attend Fresno State College, where she joined Alpha Xi Delta Sorority, and met Merle Knapp at a Delta Sigma Phi fraternity party. Joan and Merle married on April 14, 1957, just before graduating from college together. Both became educators. Joan taught mostly first grade in Fresno County. Joan loved reading, history, traveling, singing in the church choir, going to the Apollo landings in the 1970s, helping to produce a Historical Book of Fresno with AAUW, and dancing with her husband, who was her Rock. They would have been married 60 years this April.

She was preceded in death by her son, David Knapp in 1999; and granddaughter, Lauren Knapp in 1993.

Joan is survived by her husband Merle; daughter, Karen Wong and her husband Ed- ward; daughter-in-law, Tonya Knapp; and grandchildren, Taylor and Donovan Knapp and Julie and Jordan Wong, all of Fresno.

Visitation will be held at Whitehurst, Sullivan, and Burns & Blair Funeral Home on Monday, March 6, 2017, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.

A Memorial Service will be held at Hope Lutheran Church, 364 E. Barstow, on Tuesday, March 7, 2017, at 4:00 p.m.