Allan Edwin Knuth

Knuth, Allan Edwin Age 85, went home to his Lord on May 5, 2010, at Vitas Hospice in the Lutheran Home in Wauwatosa, reuniting with his beloved wife of 61 years, Betty Ann Albrecht Knuth, who passed away in 2008. Allan is survived by his three sons, Roger (Katherine) Knuth, of Evanston, IL; Dr. Randall (Julie) Knuth, of Tucson, AZ; and Dr. Ronald (Julie Kudrna) Knuth, of Marshfield, WI; as well as four grandsons, Andrew and Nicholas, of Tucson, AZ; and Daniel and David, of Marshfield; and his younger brother, Marvin Knuth, of Mequon, WI. Allan was born February 9, 1925, to Edwin and Norma (nee Bergmann) Knuth, of Wauwatosa. He grew up with Marvin in Wauwatosa, and graduated from Wauwatosa East in 1943. Allan joined the army after school, and was part of the WWII invasion of Normandy, France, arriving day two on a fuel supply boat. At the end of the war, while waiting transfer back to the states, he was part of a crew that built a house inside of an English warehouse to learn carpentry and house-building skills. Allan came from a long line of builders and contractors. His grandfather was a well-regarded carpenter in Wauwatosa, and his father started and grew E.C. Knuth and Co., a large and successful general contractor in the Milwaukee area. When Allan came back from the war, his father gave him a choice of learning carpentry or masonry. He chose to be a mason apprentice. In 1946, Allan met his future wife, Betty Albrecht, at a dance. They were married in Merrimac, WI, on Oct. 4, 1947, five days after her birthday, to respect the wishes of her father that she not marry until she turned 21. Allan always said that Betty was the best thing in his life, and he was grateful for her love during all of their years together. In 1950, they had Roger, the first of three sons, followed by Randall (Randy) in 1952. The next year, they bought a home in "rural" Elm Grove in suburban Milwaukee to raise their family, and stayed there for the next 50 years. Their third son, Ronald (Ron) was born in 1955. In 1962, Allan and Betty started a small commercial mason-contracting firm, Knuth Masonry, Inc. She ran the office, and he ran the projects. During the next 25 years they built KMI into the largest mason contracting firm in Wisconsin, completing more than 850 projects and culminating with the Bradley Sports Center. He also helped build the Lutheran Home, where he later lived. Allan ran his business as he lived his life, with a strong commitment to personal integrity and fairness. Finally, in 1987 he and his wife decided to close the doors, auction off the equipment, and move on to the next phase of their lives. Allan was a hands-on "doer." He never stopped moving during the day, finally sitting down in his recliner in front of the TV at night. He loved to do projects around the house and yard, and often recruited his less than enthusiastic kids to help. He was always painting and repainting, landscaping, and cleaning. He especially enjoyed organizing his workshop. Allan served on a variety of church committees, and in his later years he was again a member of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran church in Wauwatosa, where he was confirmed. In addition, he was a member of the Elm Grove Kiwanis Club, where he attended the Golden K Kiwanis Club meetings almost to the end of his life. Allan's special passion was mason apprenticeship programs and he served on a number of industry committees as a longtime leader of the local construction industry. In 1978, the Allied Construction Employers Association (ACEA) named him Construction Man of the Year. He was a very active tennis player for years at men's night at the Western Racquet Club, and then transitioned to golf, constantly trying to improve his swing and find the latest and greatest driver or putter. Allan and Betty traveled extensively around the world and had many close friendships in the construction industry that they thoroughly enjoyed. They were both very supportive and proud of their kids' achievements and loved visiting the grandkids and having them come for visits. In recent years, Allan had progressive Alzheimer's dementia, and while his loving wife Betty cared for him at home, after her death in 2008 he began his final decline. The family would like to thank the many people at Lutheran Home and Harwood Place for their support, respect, and care of Allan over the past few years, with special thanks to Dyonne, Cindie, Beth and the 2-West staff, along with Rhonda and Allison at Harwood and the caring nursing staff at Vitas Hospice, who helped Allan through his final hours. The family is also grateful for Sharon and "best friend" Dave at Home Instead for providing companionship and support to Allan. The family thanks Jackie and others at Geriatric Support Services for helping find the best path for Allan during his transition time. Although the disease stripped away many of Allan's memories, it left and perhaps further revealed his essential personality, intact and true - a kind, honest and gentle man, who loved his wife and family with all his heart. He also retained his sense of humor and an appreciation for cookies. In lieu of flowers or other recognition, the family requests donations to "Allan's Club" at the Lutheran Home in Wauwatosa, to fund activity programs for Memory Care residents; or to St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church in Wauwatosa. A visitation for Allan will be held at St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, 7809 Harwood Avenue, Wauwatosa, on Monday, May 10, 2010 at 12 noon, followed by a memorial service at 1:00 PM and reception with the family.