Michael Knolhoff

Michael Knolhoff, beloved husband of Roger Fisher, passed away at Desert Regional Medical Center, Palm Springs, on December 8, 2020. He was 55 years of age. Michael was born at West Chicago, Illinois, and spent his early childhood in nearby St. Charles. In 1978, the family moved to the Coachella Valley, where Michael lived the rest of his life. Michael was always an inspiration to his family, and after graduating from Palm Springs High School, he had a varied career with local firms. He was a cherished employee of Palm Springs Savings Bank, Leather and All, and Staples. He was also a tour guide for Desert Adventures, and he served as a counselor for Desert Arc. Michael and Roger were among the first gay couples legally married in Palm Springs. Michael loved life and had a level of humility that everyone respected, taking an impossible situation and putting a positive spin on it. He battled his cancer cheerfully with an inner strength that all admired. When his illness forced him into early retirement, Michael pursued his passion for "rescue animals," which included many dogs, cats, and a cockatoo. Michael is survived in Desert Hot Springs by his partner Roger Fisher; in Palm Springs by his step-father James Berry; in Ridgway, Colorado, by his parents-in-law, John and Pat Fisher; in Lake Elsinore, California, by his sister Michaele and brother-in-law Keven LePenske; in Northfield, Minnesota by his step-sister Anne and her husband George Vrtis, and in St. Charles, Illinois, by his step-brother, Jay Berry. Michael was devoted to his many nephews and nieces, including Jessica and her husband Matthew Pageau, Jacob Schulte; Sarah, Joshua, and Emma LePenske, and Meadow and Henry Vrtis, and his great-niece and great-nephew, Madison and James Pageau. Services for Michael will be private. Those wishing to offer a remembrance should consider the Cancer Society.

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Published by The Desert Sun from Dec. 17 to Dec. 22, 2020.

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