Obituary of David Knorr

KNORR The family and friends of David Russel Knorr of Lloydminster, Alberta mourn his passing on November 13, 2007 at the age of 58. David was born on April 29, 1949 in Paradise Hill, Saskatchewan to Phillip and Joyce (Cisar) Knorr and was the 2nd eldest of eight children. He was raised in St. Walburg and lived and worked in Lloydminster most of his adult life. David attended Kelsey’s Institute of Technology in Saskatoon where he received his Heavy Duty Mechanics certification. Left to cherish his memory are: his spouse Eileen; his daughters Sharmaine, Rhonda (Monty) and their children Brianna, Erika, and Kendra; his son Cody (Amy); his mother Joyce; his brothers Laverne (Carole), Ron, Wayne (Christine), Don and his sisters Carol (John) and Diane (Blair) along with numerous nieces and nephews. David’s passing will also leave a huge void in the lives of Eileen’s children Jeff (Debbie), Debbie (Marvel), Randy and their families plus the multitude of friends and co-workers. David was predeceased by his father Phillip, his granddaughter McKenna and his brother Leonard. David enjoyed many things in his life, whether it was spending time with his family and friends, enjoying a round of golf, fishing or simply watching a Blue Jays game on television. He was always willing to offer a helping hand to anyone who needed assistance, especially if it involved anything mechanical. He loved to tinker with vehicles, motors and semis. David’s inner strength, his simple goodness and his unwavering beliefs will truly leave an empty place in the hearts of all those he touched. We will always remember the glint in his eye and his quirky smile/smirk. Funeral services were held on Monday, November 19, 2007 at 2:00 pm at the Grace United Church in Lloydminster, Alberta. In lieu of flowers, donations made in memory of David may be made to a charity of one’s choice. Eulogy Good Afternoon Today we are gathered her to honor David Russel Knorr. As I look out at you his family, friends, colleagues and acquaintances, I am not at all surprised at the size of this crowd. Dave touched a lot of people in his lifetime mainly because he liked people and enjoyed companionship. Dave and I worked together for a lot of years and I am very thankful for his loyalty, dedication and friendship. Dave was a people person. He enjoyed visiting and joking with all kinds of people. I have often said “Dave would never let work get in the way of a good conversation.” Now don’t take that wrong, Dave was a hard working man, he would just take the time to visit with someone and then get his work done. To my way of thinking in this busy world we could use a few more people like Dave. If Dave were to have planned this occasion he would encourage us to enjoy his memory and not be sad or downhearted. He would have a few jokes for us and his eyes would be sparkling with zest and that mischievous nature that lived within him. Dave was born on the 29th of April, 1949 in Paradise Hill, SK to Phil and Joyce Knorr. He grew up in St. Walburg with five brothers; Laverne, Ron, Leonard, Wayne and Don and two sisters Carol and Diane. From what I gather from Barry Benkendorf and others Dave was always a prankster and up to some mischief on a more than regular basis. Dave attended school in St. Walburg up to grade 10. He dropped out of school because “he didn’t feel he could learn anything sitting in the hallway.” He moved to the big city of Lloydminster to enter the work force. Dave was always quite mechanical and loved to drive fast. In his early twenties he decided he needed more education so moved to Saskatoon and completed a heavy duty mechanics course at the Kelsey Institute. He then moved back to Lloydminster and worked mostly in this area for the rest of his life. In May 1983 he started work with Abe Unrau at Unrau’s Trucking. In 1997 we purchased Unrau’s and to quote Dave “He came with the furniture.” Dave and I developed a very enjoyable working relationship and friendship over the next ten and a half years. Dave was blessed with three children: two girls: Sharmaine and Rhonda and one son Cody. Rhonda and Monty have three children: Brianna, Erika and Kendra. Cody is married to Amy. Dave was very proud of his kids. He spoke to me of each and every one of you. One think I would like you to know Rhonda, is that your dad would very seldom turn down a trip, no matter what time of the day or night, except when his grandchildren came to visit. He would just say “My grandchildren are in town” and that was that. Dave’s children have prepared this short note that I would like to read for you at this time. I understand that you have most of the factual info about Dad, but I have attached the obituary in case you don’t have all the facts. A couple of stories from our youth: Dad always had a great sense of humour. As children Sharmaine, Rhonda and I (Cody) would climb into the car and head from Furness into Lloyd. The road from Furness to the highway had a number of dips and doodles and on the way back from Lloyd we would all have a pop to share in the backseat of the car. For some reason every time we tried to take a sip of pop the car would accelerate over a dip in the road and if we weren’t spilling the soda all over ourselves we were shooting it out through our noses. It wasn’t until years later we learned that Dad had the rearview mirror focussed on the backseat and he would drive nice and slow until we would take a drink and he would accelerate through the bumps chuckling to himself while one kid coughed and choked and the rest laughed. It was evident that David loved the children in his life. He bough his granddaughter Brianna her first bicycle, he spent hours playing whatever they had dreamt up including crawling around on his hands and knees on the floor growling like a bear, or competing with them on who had the goofiest face. David also had a great amount of patient for his granddaughters, he would sit the girls on his knee and listen to whatever stories they just had to tell him at that moment. That’s it. Cody and Rhonda In the early eighties Dave and Eileen Dustow began a relationship that would span over twenty-five years. Dave always referred to her as the “Little Ukrainian.” He would say something like “I had better get home the Little Ukrainian is cooking cabbage rolls” or the Little Ukrainian has a roast cooking. He always enjoyed taking Eileen on a pilot job to Edmonton or Fort McMurray or out on a short trip in the truck. About seven years ago I realized that we couldn’t get by without Dave in the summer while he took his vacation, so I made a deal with him that I would send him to Mexico or some where in the south for a vacation in the wintertime. Thus began the annual excursions to Nuevo Vallarta, Cancun, Dominican Republic, Mazatlan and the Mayan Riviera. Each year he would take the travel book home and he and the Little Ukrainian would plot their winter vacation. Dave would return and regale us with stories of climbing up the temple at Chitchen Itza and almost missing the bus back, getting swamped in a small boat on the ocean, a scary bus ride in Puerto Vallarta, an iguana in the swimming pool, or story after story of the people he would meet up with at the swim up bar. I am so happy that I made that deal with Dave, for the happiness and good memories he and Eileen were able to derive from those experiences and the enjoyment the rest of us received in hearing those stories and seeing the twinkle in his eyes and the grin on his face. During Dave’s stay in the hospital, Eileen stayed with her cousin and rode the transit back and forth each day. She attended him faithfully from morning until evening. She stayed strong and composed so she could best meet Dave’s needs. You did a great job Eileen, I know Dave appreciated your company and care very much. Thank you to each one of you who took the time to visit Dave. Eileen’s family has prepared this short note that I would like to share with you now. Early in the 1980's, our Mom was first introduced to her partner Dave, now 20 plus years later, we Eileen’s children and our families reflect on the impact Dave has had on our lives over the years. We were very lucky to have acquired a patient guardian and companion for our Mother, and a loving grandfather for our children, and great grandfather for theirs. Dave was someone you could depend on to be there when needed, he was a problem solver, a wonderful mechanic, and most of all an honest and true friend, we liked to call him Saint Dave. Dave and Mom being partners, gave us the privilege of developing new relationships with his family and friends, and we thank you all for “Our Saint.” Over the past few days we have shared many stories as we reminisced about the times we have all shared with Dave, it has been wonderful to hear how he has impacted everyone’s life in some very special way. Dave loved to golf, and although his swing was restricted, he still loved to play the game; we will remember the birthdays, the Christmas’, those special moments watching the football games with the boys, “Go Riders Go,” hopefully they won the game on Sunday!!) And of course his beloved Blue Jay’s, (maybe someday Dave!!) He was always true to his Jays!! The Law of Physics states that energy cannot be created or taken away, it can only be changed. Dave’s energy may no longer be with us in the way we have come to know and enjoy, but knowing Dave he is watching us right now, with that beautiful smile on his face that we will always remember. This is not good bye but til we meet again, your memory will live on in our hearts, and we will Love you forever. Deb, Randy, Jeff and our families His departure has left a very large hole in our lives and in our business. Dave really looked after our drivers and listened to their problems and was always willing to help. I don’t know how many times he went down to open the gate at Nelson Lumber to let a driver in to pick up a load or how many times he had to run down to the shop after hours to repair lights or change a brakepot. He knew far more of what was happening with the drivers than I will ever know. To use a cliche he was my right hand man. I could depend on him, I could trust him and I could count on him. He would seldom ever complain about anything even though he lived with the pain of arthritis every day. He was diagnosed in his early twenties and worked through it for the rest of his days. Other than his limp and a slight stoop and his premature greying, he didn’t let on or complain about his problems. He used to joke about people mistaking him for a senior citizen. Dave was without a doubt one of the best natured guys I have every known. Dave always enjoyed golfing with his buddies and really enjoyed Men’s night. He had many good rounds with Jeff and Brad and Mel and many others. Dave Whittleton laughs about the time Dave tried golfing with his brand new glasses with progressive lenses. I guess Dave teed up and swung over the ball, he swung behind the ball and beside the ball and everywhere else but on the ball, while his buddies were rolling around in laughter. Needless to say a certain optometrist wasn’t on Dave’s Christmas card list that year. Dave was very good at making sure no one ever forgot any of the mistakes and loved to give out nicknames like “Captain Crunch,” sorry Barry. He also kept a stash of firecrackers at the shop to ensure the shop staff and the Bea Fisher job coaches were on their toes. Dave also would start a pool to see who put the first dent or scratch in one of the new trucks. I think he usually won. He definitely made life interesting for everyone he worked with. Dave was a very versatile person. He was an accomplished mechanic. He could operate a winch truck well. He could run any piece of equipment that needed to be loaded on a truck. He could fix your electrical and plumbing problems. The list goes on. Dave would assist with dispatch and naturally to do that he had to learn a little about operating a computer. This didn’t daunt him at all. He just took the learning process all in stride. He certainly wasn’t afraid to learn something new. If you look at the memorial notice you were handed when you came in you will see on it a picture of “Dave’s Truck.” This was Dave’s baby. We purchased this truck as an insurance write-off from Don Mackay. Dave, with a little help from Brad, dismantled most of the truck and rebuilt it, installed a 30 ton winch and built the decking, chain hangers, tail plate, live roll and all the other paraphanalia required. He drove that truck for many years. When the highway tucks couldn’t keep up Dave would embark on some new ventures to again bump him out of his comfort zone into new territory. He delivered loads to Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, BC, Yukon, Northwest Territories, Manitoba and of course Alberta and Saskatchewan. Dave always kept his truck running well and he even polished the wheels once. He was very proud of the way his truck pulled and if someone ever caught him on a hill “it was time for a tune up.” But Dave was more than all these things. He was very caring man. He was always patient and kind with the Bea Fisher Boys that work in the shop. If someone needed help with something, they could count on Dave. He was so willing to please others that he hid his pain and feelings inside. My daughter-in-law had a very rough pregnancy and was in the Royal Alex in Edmonton while Dave was in the hospital. One of he first things he would ask when we went to see him was “How is Becky?” He really cared about people. When Leonard went through his battle with cancer earlier this year, Dave came and talked with me time after time trying to understand why the strong and healthy ones had to go first. He really had a tough time dealing with that situation. I am sure many of you can recall times Dave has helped you or someone you know, just because he could. There was many a weekend Dave spent working on someone’s vehicle just as a favor. He wasn’t a man of agendas. What you saw is what you got. He was a straight shooter and his word was good. He would be upset if we let on that he didn’t have any shortcomings, failures, disappointments or quirks in his life because he did, and that is part of what made Dave the special man that he was. You know you never really appreciate a person and all they do, until they are gone. You often fail to tell people how important they are in your life, until it is too late and if you are like me you are often too busy just to visit and catch up on old times, new times, whatever. I think one thing Dave would remind each of us is that life can change in an instant. Take time to thank the Lord for your health and your family and friends. Before you leave today, shake a few hands, say hi to some old friends you haven’t seen for a while and tell a funny story about Dave because that is what he would want us to do. Thank you - Rod Shopland Card of Thanks The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to the doctors and nurses in the Neurosurgical Unit at the University of Alberta Hospital in Edmonton, Alberta for the above and beyond care extended to David. Thank you to all those who sent cards, flowers, food, donations and expressions of condolences. Your prayers, support, thoughts and kind gestures have helped us all through this extremely difficult time and are greatly appreciated. Thank you to McCaw Funeral Service for their guidance, help and support. God bless you all. Love Eileen and family Cody and Amy Sharmaine Rhonda and Monty and family Donations in memory of David may be made to the charity of the donor's choice.