David E. Knorr

David E. Knorr, 82 of Worcester, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, December 27, 2022 at Beaumont Rehab and Skilled Nursing in Northborough after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

David was born in Hackensack, New Jersey on November 18, 1940, the son of the late Stephen E. and Jeannette E. (Traugh) Knorr. He grew up on Summerhill Avenue in Berwick, PA, working for his Dad’s Landscaping business throughout High School. He played football for the Berwick Bulldogs, participated in the Boy Scouts of America, performed in several High School drama department plays, and began dating his lifetime sweetheart, Sallie Ann Heaps, in the fall of 1957, taking her to his High School Senior Prom the following spring.

David enlisted in the United States Navy on July 10, 1958, shortly after graduating from Berwick High School.  David served in the United States Navy through Novemeber 17, 1961, one day shy of his 21^st birthday, at which time his enlistment was involuntarily extended five more months shortly after the Berlin wall went up the night of August 12, 1961.  He was transferred with honorable character of service on April 17, 1962 to Naval Reserve, Fourth Naval District. During his service, he was awarded a Good Conduct Medal, and served his country for a total of three years, nine months, and eight days, including 2.5 years of foreign and sea service. David completed courses of training through the US Navy, including: Basic Electricity, Electronics, Basic Submarine School, Sonar Electronics, Sonar Watch-standing School, Sonar Plotting School, and AN/WRT-2 Maintenance (a radio communications system on submarines at the time). His specialty rank was Electronics Technician in the submarine service, assigned to the USS Dogfish (SS 350). 

Following David’s honorable discharge from US Navy service, he secured his first career job at Curtis Publishing Company in Philadelphia, PA. David had married Sallie Heaps on June 3, 1961, while still enlisted in the Navy; Sallie then moved up to Groton, CT after their wedding, to be near David’s Station at the USN Submarine Base in New London, Groton, CT. While David was employed with Curtis, he and Sallie lived in the suburbs of Camden, New Jersey, where David and Sallie’s daughter, Cheri Lu was born in 1962. Three short months after Cheri’s birth, David accepted an offer with Honeywell for a job as an Assistant Service Engineer in their Field Service Department with a starting salary of $95.00 per week. David and Sallie moved to a ranch in Neffs, PA, in the suburbs of Allentown, PA, where their son, Andrew David, was born in 1965. David and his young family were then transferred with Honeywell to Massachusetts, where they set up home in Medway.

Medway was home to David and his family from 1971-1997. During those 26 “Medway years”, David was an active member of his community, serving as a Deacon and in other leadership roles with the First Congregational Church, UCC, of Holliston, MA; he served in the Medway High School Boosters Association, and assisted with his son and daughter’s scouting experiences. Dave actively supported and participated in Annual neighborhood Block Parties and facilitated the famous annual Knorr Pond Draining and Clean-Out. He  was an engaged, good neighbor to all on Sun Valley Drive. In support of his children, he attended countless plays, musicals, little league baseball games, 5:00 AM hockey practices, hockey games, soccer matches, marching band parades, scouting events, and chaperoned church youth group retreats.  He provided well and with a lifelong commitment to taking care of family. He was always supportive and committed to sending his children to college and supporting their ongoing education. He himself persevered through over a decade of Night School coursework, after long days of work, to complete his Bachelor of Science in Management degree, with Honors, from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. Additionally, David completed many State-of-the-art courses in management and Computing Technology at Penn State, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Wharton University, Babson University, and Bryant University, as well as being a graduate of the Corporate Advancement Program for Middle Managers at Phillips Academy in Andover, MA.  Throughout all of his family, church, and community engagement, he managed to grow a highly successful 56 year career in the Computer Information Systems industry.

Following the Medway years, David and Sallie set up home in North Grafton from 1997-2017. During these 20 years, David embraced his role as a grandfather; dog-parented Gracie, his beloved “Lucky Dog” yellow lab; stood strong by his wife Sallie’s side, every step of the way in her battle with and recovery from cancer; moved gracefully into his retirement years, and begun his own long battle with Parkinson’s.

David worked with Honeywell from 1963-1995 , beginning his career in hardware and on the engineering side of business, he thereafter, soon journeyed his way into the business side, working in various roles across software marketing, product development, product management, and project management. He accepted an offer to go work with the Open Group (OSF) from 1995-1998, as a Business Area Manager, and stayed on loan as a consultant into 2018 with the Open Group. He then worked with Mercury Computer Systems as a Senior Software Product Manager for 13 years, from 1999-2012. Beginning in April of 1995, and up into 2018, David was the founder and managing director of two business entities: dk consulting and royalty retrievers, serving decades as a private software asset management specialist. David’s successful career in business facilitated him being able to travel to Europe and across the USA; always assuring unique and curious souvenirs would be in store for his family, upon return from these business trips.

An especially valued love of David’s was being out in the woods with his hunting crew. At first, beginning as early as the days in High School, when classes would be cancelled for the first day of deer season, he’d head off to the mountain with Bob Laubaugh, the Old Forester; later from 1972, and for over 40 years, with the Hillsgrove Bow Benders, he found his happy place. In the woods on a mountain, with their bows, Dave Keith, Bob, Norm, Angie, Leo, Dan, Rich, and Little Rich, built many memories and spun endless stories doing one of the things Dave loved most: being out in nature, hunting with his good buddies.

David is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Sallie Ann (Heaps) Knorr; his son, Andrew David Knorr, and his husband, Denival Lopes Barreira of Worcester; his daughter, Cheri Lu Fanning, and her husband, Michael J. Fanning of North Grafton; a sister, Donna Hancock of Williamsport, PA; five grandchildren: Joseph D. Fanning of North Grafton, Kelli A. Fanning, and her significant other, Ryan Clark of Norwood, and Ana Gabriella Ruggieri, Sammy Ruggieri, and Alyssia Pham, and their mothers Gina and Juliana Ruggieri of Leicester.

A period of calling hours will be held on Sunday, January 15, 2023 from 2-4 pm immediately followed by his memorial service at 4 pm in the MERCADANTE FUNERAL HOME & CHAPEL, 370 Plantation St., Worcester, MA. There will be no burial.

In lieu of flowers, David’s families have asked that you kindly consider donations be made to: ASPCA, PO Box 96929, Washington, DC 20090-6929 (www.aspca.org) or The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, P.O. Box 5014, Hagerstown, MD 21741 (www.michaeljfox.org)