Harold Norman Knickle Sr.

Harold - better known as Harry - was born in Boston, MA in 1936 to Helen and Charles Knickle. Although he never attended high school, he graduated cum laude after just three years from the University of Massachusetts - Amherst in 1962 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. He followed his undergraduate degree with an M.S. and Ph.D. in Nuclear Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He spent several years working for General Electric in Schenectady, New York, where he participated in the dawn of the nuclear propulsion system for aircraft carriers and the design of the first deep dive submarine rescue vehicles (DSRV). In 1969, he moved his family to Warwick, Rhode Island where he answered the call of the classroom to teach engineering at the University of Rhode Island. He stayed at the University of Rhode Island for 40 years, reaching the ranks of full professor, assistant dean, associate dean, and acting dean of engineering.

Harry served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in South Korea in 1955 as a combat engineer. He would fly wherever the military planes would take him on his days off, including throughout Korea, Japan, and the Philippines. As a young dad, he enjoyed taking his family across the country to engineering conferences, including conferences at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado, Texas Tech University, and The Ohio State University. His children have endless memories of driving across the country multiple times to these conferences.

In 1981, Harry convinced his wife Sharon to open the first stand alone computer store in Rhode Island. He had the vision and foresight that computer and peripheral sales would explode throughout the 1980s. Harry and Sharon worked long hours over the next 10 years and made that dream come true. Harry became an unwitting participant in sporting history when he equipped the America’s Cup yacht the Australia II with on-board computers in 1983 that helped them win the Cup.

Harry also found the time to have a career in government. He was elected to an at-large position on the Warwick, Rhode Island school committee and served from 1977 to 1993.

Harry is preceded in death by his wife Sharon and is survived by his brother Bob and his sister Marianne, daughter Kimberly and son H. Norman, their spouses Kevin and Mary, his four grandchildren - Calvin, Isabel, Andrew, and Laura. We all enjoyed his love for games, ice cream, donuts, and kayaking. He influenced us all with his passion for lifelong learning. He will be greatly missed.

The family also wishes to extend thanks to all of those who made Grand Living a home, staff and residents alike.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the University of Rhode Island Chemical Engineering scholarship in Harry’s name:https://www.givecampus.com/campaigns/68744/donations/new?designation_id=e410&designation_id_1=ec27&in_memory_of=Dr.%20Harold%20N.%20Knickle