A tribute to Fred Knittle, a fine performer and even better man.
Fred Knittle and the Chorus singing Coldplay's "Fix You"
Fred Knittle, 83, died Thursday, January 1, 2009 at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. Fred was born in Utica, New York, where he attended grammar and high school. In World War II, he served with the U.S. Army Infantry in North Africa ad Italy and then, after the War ended in Europe, with the Combat Engineers in the Philippine Islands with the U.S. Army Occupation Forces in Japan. He attended Utica College, then a satellite campus of Syracuse University, on the GI Bill. It was during his senior year, 1949, when he met his future bride, Barbara Essel. They married in 1951 and moved to Staten Island, New York where Fred was Program Director for the Staten Island YMCA. Within three years, they moved into Manhattan when Fred became Executive Director of the Uptown YMCA.
In 1958, Fred accepted a position as Director of Development for George Williams College, a YMCA training facility in Chicago. They were there for only a year and a half, before Fred was asked to become Vice President for Development at the Clarke School for the Deaf in Northampton. Fred and Barbara moved to Florence in the fall of 1959, and he was with the school for nearly thirty years, raising over 22 million dollars during that time. He retired in 1987. Fred believed strongly in the school and its mission: that all people could communicate in this world – that everyone could have a voice. According to him, he wasn’t a fund-raiser, he was a “friend-raiser”, his job was to make people believe in the school, and the donations would take care of themselves. For Fred, rich wasn’t just a monetary idea. It was about whom you surrounded yourself with, who believed in you, and whom you believed in. He worked this way, but he also lived this way. In addition to his work for Clarke School, he also served his community in the Kiwanis Club, The Lions Club, was active in the Soap Box Derby, and volunteered his time for local youth sports, from football and soccer to basketball and his favorite game to play, baseball.
He was King Winter in Northampton’s Winter Carnival, played “Gramps” in the Volunteers In Northampton Schools fundraising shows, and participated in the Hospital Follies. Never a trained singer, but always a lover of music, he dabbled in performing for most of his life, but never made it a regular thing.
After Fred retired from Clarke School, Barbara felt it would be good for her sanity to get him out from underfoot. She suggested he audition for the Young@Heart Chorus, and he spent most of the time in retirement singing with the group, a collection of seniors ranging in age from 68 to 95 years. With the group, he returned to Europe, singing in Holland, Belgium and Germany. After retiring from the chorus due to health restrictions in 2002, he returned for an occasional show, including the show that became the basis for the Young@Heart movie. His version of “Fix You” from the movie became a Youtube sensation, with almost 1 million viewings around the world.
Despite being born and raised in New York, he became a die-hard fan of both the Boston Red Sox and the New England Patriots, and after both the Red Sox and the Patriots won championships in 2004, joked that he could now die a happy man.
Fred is missed terribly by his loving wife of 57 years, Barbara. He often said that their marriage was based on faith and trust. She had no faith in him and he didn’t trust her. He is also lovingly remembered by his four children and their families: Elise Knittle of Santa Cruz, CA, her husband Quentin Williams, and their four children: Byron, Alanna, Lynette and Benjamin; Bill Knittle, of Holyoke, MA, his fiancé Alice Klinge, and their three children: Christopher, Elenora and Lucas; Bob Knittle of Worcester, MA, his wife Mary, and their four children: Sean, Megan, Brian and Michael; and Paul Knittle of Amesbury, MA, his wife Tara Nelson, and their daughter, Hannah.
He was able to spend his last few days surrounded by family, visited by friends, sharing stories, telling jokes, watching football, some of his favorite pastimes. He died peacefully, knowing that he was loved and will be missed, but feeling he had led a full and happy life and had been blessed with a loving wife and family, including the twelve grandchildren that he couldn’t get enough of.
In lieu of flowers, it is Fred’s wish that donations be made to one of three worthy organizations: The Young@Heart Chorus, The Clarke School for the Deaf and VNA & Hospice of Cooley Dickinson. The family would especially like to thank the nurses and doctors of the Cooley Dickinson Hospital and Hospice for such kind attention and caring during his last week of life.
Please send a personal message to the knittle family at knittlesknest@gmail.com or sign the guest book.
Memorial Contributions:
Clarke School for the Deaf:
www.plan.gs/Home.do?orgId=5382
VNA & Hospice of Cooley Dickinson:
www.vnaandhospice.org/pages/ways_to_help.php
Young@Heart:
www.youngatheartchorus.com/support.php