Orville W Knapp

Orville William Knapp, born July 19, 1932, passed away peacefully on May 8, 2025, aged 92. A farmer near Madison, Nebraska, until his retirement to Bellevue, Orville was preceded in death by his brother Virgil and his parents Alfred and Ella Knapp. He is survived by Juliet (Rath) Knapp, his wife of 64 years, and by his five children and their families: Douglas & Nancy Knapp of York; Denise & Bob Bennett of Bellevue; Diane & Howard Coffin of Omaha; Darren & Leyda Knapp of Ames, IA; and Derek & Shannon Knapp of Washington, UT.

Orville graduated from Madison High School in 1950 and served in the US Air Force 1952-1956 in the Security Service. He was stationed in Anchorage and Adak, Alaska, copying Morse code from Russian and Chinese radio intercepts. Following his time in the Air Force, he farmed with his father and studied at Northeast Technical Community College in Norfolk.

Orville and his wife, Juliet, married on August 14, 1960. They raised their family on a farm outside Madison, attending St. John Lutheran Church, Green Garden precinct, where Orville was baptized, confirmed, and remained actively involved, holding leadership positions and singing in the choir. Upon retirement in 1994, Orville and Julie moved to a home near Fontenelle Forest in Bellevue, Nebraska. He stayed busy in retirement, working for several years as a handyman/landscaper for Prusha Nursery and in the winter months at Stolltenberg Farms. He also served as a groundskeeper at Offutt Air Force Base's Willow Lakes golf course. He volunteered with a number of organizations, including Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church Food Pantry, the Omaha Symphony, Joslyn Castle, the SAC Museum airplane restoration project, and the VA Institutional Review Board. He enjoyed singing in the Kountze church choir, in annual community performances of Handel's Messiah, and in the chorus for several Omaha Symphony Christmas productions.

Orville was a beloved husband; a wonderful, fun father; a dear grandfather to Emily Coffin, Samuel Bennett, Megan Driewer, Alexa Kush, and Sabrina Saidpour; great-grandfather to Kale Jones, Talan Hager, Cayce Hager, and Addison Kush; and a good friend to many. He was a cheerful, funny, kind, wise and warm man with a rich, long life and a lasting legacy.

Visitation will be Thursday, May 15 from 6:00 - 8:00 pm at Westlawn-Hillcrest Funeral Home, 5701 Center Street, Omaha. Funeral services will be held Friday, May 16 at 10:00 am at Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church in Omaha, followed by interment and luncheon at Westlawn-Hillcrest.

Memorials may be directed to Kountze Memorial Lutheran Food Pantry, Fontenelle Forest, or the Omaha Symphony.