Born July 14, 1951, in Cleveland, Ohio, Richard was the son of William J. Knuff and Rita C. (Lieb) Knuff. He grew up in Ohio and later graduated from The Ohio State University, where he proudly embraced being a Buckeye. He also served in the United States Air Force early in his career.
Richard was a mechanical engineer who worked on projects around the world for companies including Intel, American Airlines, and Kimberly-Clark. He also taught engineering courses at the University of Wisconsin. He was known for his technical skill, practical problem-solving, and quiet professionalism.
He is survived by his son and daughter-in-law, Steven and Halie Knuff of Austin, Texas; his daughter and son-in-law, Melissa and Chad Collins of Mount Dora, Florida; his siblings, William A. Knuff, Mary Katherine Gurbis, and Theresa O’Connor; and his grandchildren Nicholas, Simon, Eden, Ruben, Lexie, Frankie, Nathan, and Henry.
He was preceded in death by his parents and his wife, Linette Knuff.
