Orville ‘Jack’ Knapp

Orville ‘Jack’ Knapp

July 10, 1940 — Aug. 31, 2008

MONTROSE —  Orville “Jack” Knapp, age 68, of Montrose, Colo., died suddenly on Sunday afternoon, Aug. 31, 2008 after being rushed from Montrose Memorial Hospital to St. Mary’s Hospital and Medical Center in Grand Junction, Colo. 

Jack was born July 10, 1940 to Delbert and Juanita (Brown) Knapp in Basin, Wyo.  At the age of 3 months, Jack’s parents moved to Telluride, Colo. where he was raised and graduated from Telluride High School in 1958. Jack married Gerry Swan in 1961 in Telluride. They moved to Boulder, Colo. in 1962 and Jack started working for the Boulder Fire Department as a fireman in 1965. Jack was  Battalion Chief prior to his retirement after 25 years of service. He and Gerry relocated to Montrose in 1989 where they made their home until his time of death. Jack was a member of the Montrose Christian Church. He was also known as “Jack The Clipper”  and was a barber from 1989 to 1997 when he sold his business. Jack was a rock hound and it was a family hobby. He enjoyed inventing, creating and was a self-taught welder.  He was the “Jack” of all trades.

Survivors include his wife, Gerry of the family home in Montrose; his mother, Juanita Knapp, age 95, of Grand Junction; two daughters, Leia Edson and husband, David of Olathe, Colo., Melanie Hale and husband Wally of Mountain View, Wyo.; two sisters, Delaphine Waterland and Theda Savoie and husband, Ken, all of Grand Junction; four grandchildren, Kristina Holman and husband Jason of Denver, Brittany Calhoun and husband, Scott of Delta, Colo., Matthew Botts and wife Heather of Fort Bridger, Wyo., and Christopher Botts of Mountain View, Wyo.; and one great-grandson, William Holman. Jack was preceded in death by his father, Delbert; one brother, James Knapp; and one sister, Jeanette Reed.

A memorial service in celebration of Jack’s life will be held Friday, Sept. 5, 2008, at 2 p.m., at The Montrose Christian Church on Sunnyside Road in Montrose. The service will conclude at the church.  A reception will follow the service in Fellowship Hall. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice and Palliative Care of Western Colorado, In Memory of Jack Knapp, P. O. Box 1804, Montrose, CO 81402.

Arrangements are under the direction of Crippin Funeral Home, 802 E. Main St., Montrose, CO 81401 (970) 249-2121.