Late Wyandotte Firefighter to be Memorialized Today

A memorial service will be held today for a retired Wyandotte firefighter who died Sept. 17 after losing his battle with lung cancer. He was 83. 

A memorial gathering will be held at 1 p.m. in the fellowship hall at Calvary Lutheran Church, 3320 Electric, Lincoln Park. A service will follow at 4 p.m.

“Dad was a driver, and he prided himself on always being able to get the crew to the fire and get water as quickly as possible,” said his son, Mark Knopp. “He knew Wyandotte really well. He was proud of what he did, and he was proud of Wyandotte.” 

Born in Wyandotte on Dec. 22, 1927, Knopp graduated from in 1945. He was the eldest of four children. He met his wife, Blossom Marie Tilley, at the former Sport Bowl at Biddle and Oak where he worked. 

The two were married on May 14, 1955, at in downtown Wyandotte. In June 1958, the young couple bought a home on Emmons. It was there they raised their three children–Carole, Mark and Carla. Knopp lived there up until his death. 

For 32 years, Knopp worked as a . He retired in 1986. After about five years of retirement, he went back to work for the city, this time as a residential code inspector, a position he held for 14 years.  

Church always played a central role in Knopp’s life. He was a member of Trinity Lutheran, which he attended throughout his youth, and was active in the Trinity Men’s Club. In the 1960s, the family joined Calvary Lutheran Church in Lincoln Park, where the children attended school. 

“Dad was very active at Calvary,” said Mark Knopp. “He served as an elder and on the school’s board.” 

Knopp said his father also enjoyed playing sports.

“Dad loved to bowl and he loved to golf,” Mark said. “But he was a better bowler than golfer. If he was sitting here next to me, he’d laugh and admit it.

“He and Mom were members of a group of six couples. Not an official group, just friends (who) called themselves the 'Hack-a-Lots.' Every summer, they went on a weeklong golf outing up at Walloon Lake, near Petoskey.

“He was a pretty simple man. He loved to be with his friends. Didn’t ask a lot of anybody. Just an honest man who lived by the golden rule–treat others as you’d like to be treated.”

Charles Knopp was preceded in death by Blossom in December 2007. He is survived by his children, Mark, Carole and Carla (Blake) Horton; his grandchildren, Andrew, Brady, Allie and Ben; his sister, Marilyn Masters; and many friends and neighbors.

Memorial donations may be sent to the Wyandotte Goodfellows, 
P.O. Box 392, Wyandotte, MI, 48192.

Funeral arrangements were handled by in Wyandotte.