Obituary of Lafayette W. Knapp

Lafayette Whitmore "Pete" Knapp, JR, age 90, died October 24, 2015. Memorial services will be 1:00 P.M., Thursday, October 29, 2015, at the Congregational United Church of Christ, Iowa City with visitation at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service from 4-6:00 pm. Wednesday, October 28, 2015. L.W. "Pete" Knapp was born in Erin, NY, July 19, 1925, son of L.W. "Fay" and Jennie (Prince) Knapp. The family relocated to the Ithaca, NY region where Pete attended a one room school through 8th grade, taught by his mother, and graduated from Dryden High School in 1943. He later attended Cornell University graduating with an MS in Agricultural Engineering in 1951. His Masters thesis was a groundbreaking study on farm tractor rollover safety. Upon graduation Pete joined the Cornell University College of Agriculture as a district extension engineer for New York State beginning a lifetime career in farm safety and public health. While at Cornell he designed numerous farm structures for farmers in his district, wrote over 900 articles on farm safety and hosted a weekly radio program. He promoted the placement of the power take-off shield on tractors among other tractor safety features. In 1959 Pete joined the faculty of the University of Iowa, College of Medicine in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Environmental Health. As the director of the Accident Prevention Section of the Institute of Agricultural Medicine, he was instrumental in convincing the farm equipment industry to incorporate tractor rollover frames as a standard feature on tractors and protective housing around chains and gears on farm equipment. Both features protect farm equipment operators from life threatening injuries due to contact with moving parts of their equipment. Pete authored the grant received from Kellogg Foundation to construct the Accident Prevention Laboratory located on the Oakdale Campus of the University of Iowa which today carries on the ground breaking work of preventing accidents in the home, the agricultural environment and with farm machinery. Upon retirement as Professor Emeritus in 1988 from the University of Iowa, he and his wife Jackie became involved in helping to establish a coffee cooperative, a fruit farm and the Rotary Club of Marcala, Honduras. They also established a foundation providing scholarships to encourage young girls of Marcala to stay in school through the 6th grade. In between his work and traveling his hobbies were designing and constructing homes and buildings and often remodeling them over his lifetime. Among Pete's numerous memberships in organizations, he was most passionate about belonging to the Congregational United Church of Christ of Iowa City,(past moderator) Acacia Fraternity (Past National President), Rotary Club of Iowa City AM Club and Coralville North Corridor Rotary Club, American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE) and International Association of Agricultural Medicine and Rural Health (IAAMRH). Pete served as a consultant to the International Labor Organization (ILO) headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, an agency of the United Nations, and traveled throughout the world at their behest promoting agricultural safety. Pete is survived by his daughter Deborah (Dean Shannon) Knapp of Cornelius, NC, son Christopher (Vernette) Knapp, grandsons Thomas and Andrew Knapp, all of Iowa City, his sister Sandra (Don) Swenson and niece Mara Swenson of Mt Vernon, Iowa, brother in law Francis Frost and niece Brenda Frost Payne of Ithaca, NY. He was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, his parents and a nephew, Brian Frost. The family would like to extend their deep appreciation to the staff of Oaknoll Retirement Residence for their care of Pete and the members of the Rotary Club of Coralville North Corridor and especially Ted and Kay Carpenter for their kindness to Pete when he attended club meetings. Memorials may be given in Pete's name to The Congregational Church of Iowa City, Hospice of Iowa City and The Oaknoll Foundation. Online condolences may be sent for his family through the web @ www.gayandciha.com.