DR. GREGORY P. KNAPP, 1942-2009
Wagner College Trustee Emeritus Dr. Gregory P. Knapp ’66 H’00, of Osprey, Fla. and Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., passed away Friday evening, July 24, 2009, in Sarasota (Fla.) Memorial Hospital. He was 66 years old.
Greg Knapp graduated in 1961 from St. Cecilia High School in Englewood, N.J. While a student at Wagner College, Greg played football and was a member of the Delta Nu fraternity. He graduated in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in economics and business administration. Following graduation, he accepted a commission in the United States Marine Corps, serving from 1966 to 1969 as a captain and company commander. Greg was a Vietnam veteran.
Retired as an investment banker, Greg Knapp spent much of his career working in municipal bonds. Starting at A.G. Becker & Co., he served as vice president at Chicago Corp. and W.H. Morton & Co. before becoming a managing director at Dillon, Read & Co.
Greg Knapp was elected to the Wagner College Board of Trustees in 1990. A stalwart leader, the college awarded Greg an honorary doctorate in 2000. In 2002, he became a lifetime trustee.
Wagner College President Richard Guarasci said, “Greg was a leader who made a difference during Wagner’s tough times. He supported the college for much of his life, both as a student and as a trustee. His life gave witness to the values of leadership, generosity, achievement, patriotism and deep friendship.”
“Greg was a man of faith, firm conviction, and a healthy lust for life,” added fellow Wagner College trustee and classmate Polly Peck-Moles ’68, speaking for herself and her husband Dr. Thomas G. Moles ’65 H’00, Trustee Emeritus. “We are privileged to have known him, laughed with him and loved him. He was our friend, and he was yours — and we are the better for it.”
Greg Knapp is survived by his wife of more than four decades, Patricia, their children Terrence, Gregory Jr. and Meeghan, and two grandchildren.
Visiting hours will be Thursday evening, July 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Chapman Cole & Gleason Funeral Home, 56 Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road in Oak Bluffs, Martha’s Vineyard.
A funeral Mass will be celebrated on Friday, July 31 at 11 a.m. in St. Elizabeth’s Roman Catholic Church, 86 Main St., Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard. Burial will follow in the New Westside Cemetery, Edgartown with military honors provided by the Martha’s Vineyard Veterans.
There will be a memorial service and a celebration of Dr. Knapp’s life at a later date for those living in the Sarasota area.
In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to:
- Office of Institutional Development
Wagner College
1 Campus Rd.
Staten Island, NY 10301, or
- Martha's Vineyard Hospital Building Fund
1 Hospital Rd.
Oak Bluffs, MA 02557
