Joan Knapp

Dr. Joan Marie Knapp of Boulder died of natural causes July 7, 2014, at her home. She was 83. The daughter of Theodore A. and Elsie A. Torgeson, she was born August 31, 1930, in Estevan, Sask., Canada. She received an Honors Degree in English from Queen's University, Canada, and did graduate work at St Andrews University in Scotland. She married Dr. H.G. Robert Knapp in 1953. In 1977 she became Dr. Joan Knapp, graduating with a Ph.D. in English from the University of Colorado in Boulder. She taught technical writing at the University of Colorado, Regis University, and Colorado School of Mines. In 1983 she joined IBM, where she worked as a technical writer until 2007, publishing ten papers and winning eight special awards. . Joan was a member of First United Methodist Church, President of the Boulder County Medical Auxiliary, President of the Advisory Board for the Teen Parenting Program, a member of the board of the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, and a member of the Society for Technical Communication, the University of Colorado Directors Club, the University Women's Club, the First Sunday Nighters Play Group, the American Contract Bridge League, Boulder Opera Buffs, and the Boulder Literary Book Club. She loved her family and friends, and she enjoyed classical music, entertaining, travel, playing bridge, and literary pursuits. She was preceded in death by her husband and their son Michael. She is survived by a daughter, Linda MacDougall (Scott), of Clovis, California; two sons, Robert (Patricia) of Falmouth, Massachusetts, and Ted (Karla), of Castle Pines, Colorado; and five grandchildren.