Dorothy Knospe

Dorothy Knospe

Dorothy Knospe, 79, departed this life on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, at Westminster Canterbury of the Blue Ridge.

Dorothy was born in Arlington, Massachusetts, on May 22, 1930, and attended elementary and high school in Somerville, Massachusetts. During 1951, she was a summer research assistant at the Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine. In 1952, she graduated with a BA in biology from Simmons College in Boston, Massachusetts.

She then attended Purdue University and was awarded an MS degree in biochemistry in 1954. In 1956, she married Robert Knospe, whom she met while at Purdue.

After graduation from College, she taught biology at Simmons College and then became a research assistant at the Cancer Research Institute at

Jeans Hospital in Philadelphia. She was then employed at the DuPont Central Research Department until 1957, where she did technical abstracting at the Lavoisier Library. From 1985 until 1995, Dorothy was Secretary/Treasurer of her husband's consulting firm, Robert H. Knospe Associates Inc.

During their 53 years of marriage, Dorothy and Bob enjoyed travel together to all 50 states, mostly in their motor home with their children, and 14 times to Europe with Italy being their favorite destination. In addition to travel, Dorothy also enjoyed music, reading, theater and genealogy.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her daughter, Karen Lee Knospe of Landenberg, Pennsylvania.

She is survived by her husband Robert; son, Eric and his wife, Birgit, of Mülheim, Germany; son, Carl, and his wife, Cathy Baker, of Charlottesville, and their children, Will and Anders; sister, Evelyn Gilliatt of Melrose, Massachusetts; sister-in-law, Marie and her husband, Roger Maves, of Broomfield, Colorado; nephew, Dennis Maves and his wife, Rachel, of Westminster, Colorado, and their son, Nathan and daughter, Randi.

Our thanks go to the Health and Wellness Center staff at Westminster Canterbury of the Blue Ridge for the excellent care provided for Dorothy during the past two years.

A graveside service will be held for family on Friday, November 6, 2009, and a reception for family and friends at 3 p.m. Friday, November 6, 2009, in the Rogan Lounge of Westminster Canterbury.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer's Association, 1160 Pepsi Place, Suite 306, Charlottesville, VA 22901.

Friends may send condolences to the family at www.hillandwood.com.


This obituary was originally published in the Daily Progress.