Obituary of Henry "Hank" Louis Knopp

Henry “Hank” Louis Knopp passed away on March 14, 2023, at the age of 89. Hank was a devoted husband, father, father-in-law, and grandfather who lived his life with love, compassion, and kindness. Born to Henry Louis Knopp Sr. and Gladys (Crane) Knopp, Hank was raised in Winthrop, MA and graduated from Winthrop High School. He went on to attend Boston University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management. While attending college, Hank worked part-time as an orderly at Malden Hospital, which is where he met the love of his life, a nurse-in-training named Phyllis Goodwin. After graduating BU, Hank enlisted in the military. 

In advance of his military deployment to Europe, and despite a massive snowstorm, Hank and Phyllis married on March 16, 1956. Their experience living abroad fostered a life-long passion for travel. After completing his military service and returning home, Hank began his professional career at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts as a Claims Administrator. Just a few years later, he accepted a position at New England Deaconess Hospital in Boston, MA. His career at Deaconess would span over 30 years and most notably Hank served as the Director of Outpatient Billing.

In 1964, Hank and Phyllis moved to their forever home on 18 Spring Valley Road in Burlington to raise their growing family. Hank was a man of integrity, trust and strong values; a great story-teller with a witty, dry sense of humor. His most treasured memories were time with family and friends. He made it a priority to show his children the splendor of the United States. Within New England, day trips were a regular occurrence. Further travels involved a pop-up camper and a tent, with a favorite camping destination being Lake George, NY. The most ambitious camping trip was a month long and involved traversing the US with all 4 kids and 2 dogs in tow. Once empty nesters, Hank and Phyllis embarked on many more travels, often with their closest friends. Memorable trips spanned Greece, Italy, Russia, and even an Alaska cruise.

Maintenance of his home, yard and pool, was a source of great pride for Hank. His creative side was fueled by a deep passion for music, woodworking and animals. For many years Hank proudly sang in the Congregational Church of Burlington Choir. During their marriage, Hank and Phyllis owned many pets, but none provided more joy and comfort then their beloved dog Gracie. 

Henry “Hank” Knopp was the beloved husband of Phyllis Knopp. The loving father of Lori Dodwell of Charlottesville, VA and the late Dr. David Dodwell, Linda Knopp of Nashua, NH, Gary Knopp and his wife Linda of Milford, MA, and Kristen Piscatelli and her husband Gary of Edgewater, NJ. Hank treasured being a grandfather to his 10 grandkids, Alex, Jackie, and Avery Dodwell; Rachel, Kelly, Cory, and Cameron Knopp; Steven, Christopher, and Tori Piscatelli. He was the dear brother of the late Brooks Kendall and Ruth Jorgenson. He was the loving uncle of Cheryle Forsythe, Susan Kendall, Carole Jorgenson, Kenneth Jorgenson and the late Douglas Jorgenson.

Funeral Services for Hank will be held on Saturday March 18th at 12:30pm at the Edward V Sullivan Funeral Home in Burlington, MA. In lieu of flowers, donations in Henry Knopp's memory can be made to the Salem Animal Rescue League at https://www.sarlnh.org/donate