William "Bill" Knapp

William C. "Bill" Knapp, a distinguished leader, visionary businessman, and devoted family man, passed away peacefully at his home on November 15, 2025, surrounded by his family. He was 99. Born July 18, 1926, in Detroit, Michigan, Bill was raised on the Knapp family farm in Allerton, Iowa, by his parents William and Anna Knapp. Bill was the oldest of four children and was preceded in death by his siblings Paul, Mary Louise, and Caroline. Life on the farm was often difficult, but it helped shape Bill's resilience, character, and work ethic.
After graduating from high school in 1944, at the age of 17-years-old, Bill enlisted in the U.S. Navy with his parents consent. He was sent to the Pacific theater and the following year participated in the Battle of Okinawa as a landing craft pilot, shuttling Marines to the beach and bringing back the dead and wounded to the ship. His service left a lifelong mark on him.
After returning home from the war, Bill married his high school sweetheart, Irene Hill. Together they had two children, Ginny Knapp (Haviland) and Roger Knapp. In 1948, the family moved to Des Moines, where Bill attended AIB College before going on to launch what would become one of his greatest legacies: Iowa Realty, and later Knapp Properties. He hired good people to run both companies. Early on these included Kenny Grandquist and Paul Knapp (his brother) and Bill did what he did best, he cut deals buying and selling land. Such vision and the deals he made pushed Iowa Realty into new businesses including apartments, commercial properties, land development, restaurants, and hotels and made it the largest real estate company in Iowa.
Over the decades, Bill became known for shaping - and reshaping - the Iowa landscape. Knapp loved "to make things happen," and he eventually turned his focus to downtown Des Moines. Its renaissance had been started by the likes of trucking magnate John Ruan and others in the 1970s and 1980s, but it was Bill Knapp who kept it going. His influence on the state's development is both visible and lasting.
A businessman, leader, and philanthropist, Bill gave generously to organizations and causes that made Iowa a better place to live and work. His impact on the community extended far beyond business; he was a builder of opportunities, a supporter of countless charitable efforts, and a believer in investing in people. As he often explained, "If you have the means to do it, you owe it back." Initially, this meant supporting Evelyn Davis's Tiny Tots Childcare Center, the Door of Faith Mission, and raising money for the Homes of Oakridge. Then, for instance, he led fundraising campaigns and gave millions to Drake University and the Iowa State Fair. He donated land for the Iowa Veterans Cemetery, the only such cemetery in the state, and sponsored a Central Iowa Honor Flight, which took elderly World War II veterans to Washington, D.C., to see the World War II Memorial.
Knapp was recognized with a wide variety of awards, but maybe the most significant was the Iowa Award, the state's highest civilian prize, recognizing his work and service to the state, in 2011.
Bill loved the Iowa State Fair and was a champion for making it what it is today, one of the best state fairs in the country.
A proud Democrat, he was also a longtime supporter of the Democratic Party, welcoming numerous candidates to his State Fair campsite over the years and contributing to many campaigns he believed would strengthen his community and country.
On October 21, 1998, Bill married his longtime love, Susan Terry (Knapp), in Aspen, Colorado. He was a loving stepfather to her two daughters, Sara Heeley and Anna Zuidema.
His life's journey-from a farm in Allerton to the battlefields of Okinawa, from a young entrepreneur to one of Iowa's most influential leaders-was marked by courage, generosity, and a steadfast commitment to improving the lives of others. He will be remembered with gratitude, admiration, and deep affection by all who knew him.
He is survived by his wife Susan; daughter, Ginny Haviland (Mark); stepdaughters, Sara "(Heeley) and Anna (Zuidema); grandchildren Kendy Haviland, Sable Knapp, and Montana Knapp; great-grandchildren, Cole Granzow and Brooke DeBuhr (Drew) He was preceded in death by his brother, Paul Knapp, sisters, Mary Louise Cawthorn and Carolyn Doggett, and his son, Roger Knapp.
The family will receive friends 4-7:00 pm Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at Iles Dunn's Chapel. Funeral services will be 10 am Thursday, November 20, 2025 at Plymouth Church in Des Moines. A committal service with full military honors will be held 11 am Friday, November 21, 2025 on the land that Bill donated to create the Iowa Veterans Cemetery in Van Meter, Iowa. The cemetery has honored thousands of veterans since opening in 2008.
ARRANGEMENTS BY ILES DUNN'S CHAPEL
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