Ginger Knapp Ringdahl

We are saddened to announce the unexpected death of our Mom, Gramma, and Great Grandmother ("GG"). Ginger Knapp Ringdahl, a longtime resident of Dutchess County and Key Largo, Florida, passed away on Tuesday, October 7, 2025 at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie surrounded by her loving family. She was 90 years old.
Daughter of the late Vincent James and Anna Lucille (Gebbia) Grazioso, she was born Frances Louise Grazioso on October 15, 1934. She was raised in Beacon, NY and graduated from Beacon High School in 1952.
On August 28, 1954, she married Roy A. Knapp. They were longtime parishioners of St. Mary, Mother of the Church in Fishkill. Together they raised three children, Larry, Lynn, and Steven, and welcomed eleven grandchildren. They were blessed with 45 years of marriage until Roy's passing on December 16, 1999.
A lifelong singer and musician, Ginger co-founded the Evergreen Chapter of Sweet Adelines International, a female barbershop chorus. She was involved locally as director for musical productions at Roy C. Ketcham High School, County Players, the Hyde Park Playhouse, Stepinac High School, and St. Mary's Players with longtime family friend, Father Vincent A. Lancellotti.
She and Roy enjoyed golf and tennis and were active members of Dutchess Golf and Country Club. In 1976, Roy and Ginger joined the Ocean Reef Club (ORC) in Key Largo, FL. and enjoyed many wonderful years there together. Ginger was very active in the Ocean Reef community and continued playing tennis, golf, croquet, and bocci as recently as last year. She was the driving force behind the annual musical, Christmas caroling, and musical theatre productions at ORC. She also founded and directed a mixed chorus that was appropriately named the "Ginger Snapps."
Ginger was also a dedicated member of Angler's Club in Key Largo and developed many dear friends there. Mom loved to sing throughout her life and was never one to let an open microphone sit unattended. Even after turning 90, she was frequently found singing at the piano bar at Angler's Club and, on most weekends, would be singing until closing time.
On October 21, 2006, she married Robert E. Ringdahl, who predeceased her on June 19, 2013. Bob and Ginger shared a relatively brief but wonderful life together. Mom was very lucky to have experienced the love of both Bob and our dad, Roy.
Ginger's infectious smile and warm heart touched everyone she met. Her magnetic personality and music resonated throughout the community, leaving an impression that time could never fade.
Survivors include her son, Larry Knapp and his wife Joann of Union Vale; her daughter, Lynn Donnelly of Wappingers Falls; her son, Steven Knapp and his wife Kathi of East Fishkill; her grandchildren: Clare Knapp and her husband Jesse Englehart, Courtney Matson and her husband Mark, Taylor Odell and her husband Shane, Gillian VanDervoort and her husband Adam, Michael Donnelly, Jr., and his wife Kayla, Joylynn Amelia Donnelly and her fiancé Ryan Murphy, Joseph Knapp and his wife Deniz, Elizabeth Knapp and her husband Jason Hocker, Patrick Knapp and his wife Ellie, and Timothy Knapp and his partner Haley Woods; her great-grandchildren: Mary Clare, Arden, Sloane, Charlotte, Finnegan, Graham, Emma, Sophia, and Arlo; as well as many other loving family members and friends.
In addition to her husbands and parents, Ginger was also preceded in death by her granddaughter, Amelia Lynn Donnelly, in 1994; her son-in-law, Michael Donnelly, Sr., in 2001; her sister, Tag Thayer, in 2010; and her sister, Lena Marie MacRobbie, in 2024. A Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 11:30am on Saturday, October 11th at St. Mary, Mother of the Church, 106 Jackson Street, Fishkill, NY. Interment will follow at Fishkill Rural Cemetery, 801 Route 9, Fishkill, NY.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (www.give.bcrf.org/fundraiser/6742371) or to The Amelia Lynn Donnelly Fund for Children's Brain Cancer Research at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude’s Place, Memphis, TN 38105 (www.stjude.org).
Arrangements are under the direction of the McHoul Funeral Home of Fishkill, Inc., 1089 Main Street, Fishkill, NY. For online tributes, visit www.mchoulfuneralhome.com.