Mary Beth Knapp's Obituary
Knapp, Mary Beth (nee Friedrich) lived a long, loving, and unselfish life and passed away after a valiant fight with dementia on 30 July 2025.
Mary Beth was born on 31 Dec 1951 to Henry A. and Mary B. (nee Giblin) Friedrich on the Lower East Side of New York City. She grew up in Manhattan and attended Immaculate Conception Elementary School, St. Vincent Ferrer High School, St. Vincent’s Hospital School of Nursing, and Hunter College (1972), all in Manhattan.
On 17 March 1968, she met the love of her life at the St. Patrick’s Day parade in New York City. In 1971, she was the Crescent Girl of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity (Phi Zeta) at Rutgers College, New Brunswick, New Jersey. They became engaged on 17 March 1972. On 2 December 1972, she and Vinny were married at the Church of the Epiphany in Manhattan by the Rev. John P. Moore, a longtime friend. They were married for over 52 years at the time of her passing.
Beginning in 1973 and for over 21 years, Mary Beth was a dedicated and patriotic US Army wife, in both the United States and OCONUS. During this time, they had three children, which she raised on two continents while Vinny played “Army Armor and Cavalry.” Mary Beth was an active volunteer in every community she lived, dedicating countless hours to her children’s schools, the Officers’ Wives’ Clubs, and tutoring US soldiers.
In 1989 Mary Beth rejoined the workforce as a registered nurse in both Army and DoD PRIMUS clinics in Northern Virginia. She worked her way up, and at the time of her retirement in 2013, she was the Director of Nursing at the Fairfax Tricare Health Center with 54 subordinates. Her accomplishments in support of our military and their families are best stated by collected statements of her colleagues:
• Rolled up her sleeves and led by example
• Never raised her voice
• Treated everyone with dignity and respect
• Created a family in the military clinic
• All loved her, patients and co-workers alike
• Never mess with a military wife with kids, especially if the service member was deployed
In addition to being a nurse and an Army wife, Mary Beth was a devoted mother and grandmother. Her love for her children and grandchildren was unparalleled, and she was happiest when surrounded by family. Mary Beth also enjoyed walking, especially in her later years, and was a constant presence on the walkways in her Lenah Run neighborhood. She earned her favorite glass of Kendall Jackson Chardonnay after walking all those miles, usually in her sunroom, surrounded by all her beloved flowers at “Wine O’clock”. Cross-stitch and quilting were also favorite pastimes, and she filled the walls of her home and homes of her family and friends with beautiful pieces of her work.
Mary Beth was preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Mary Friedrich. She is survived by her husband, LTC Vincent E. Knapp, Jr., Brother Henry (Nancy), nephews Brian and Scott, and sister-in-law Marion Wardle (Eric). She is also survived by her children Michael Vincent (Sarah) of Aldie, VA, Kelly Ann (Graham Day) of Raleigh, NC and Kevin Friedrich (Katy) of Aldie, VA and seven grandchildren (Aidan, Hadley, Alexa, Leighton, Annabel, Adeline & Declyn), along with many cousins, extended family and friends.
Loving Army Wife, Mother, and Grandmother.
Compassionate Nurse to America’s best.
HOOOAH!
A Funeral Mass will be held on August 14, 2025, at Corpus Christi Catholic Church: 41685 Corpus Christi Dr, Aldie, VA 20105. Webcast will be available on the Corpus Christi website, https://www.corpuschristisr.org/.
Interment will be in Arlington National Cemetery at a later date.
Online condolences may be made to the family at www.loudounfuneralchapel.com.
Mary Beth’s family would like to thank both Lansdowne Heights (Memory Care) and Capital Caring (Hospice) for their unwavering, compassionate care.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the National Capital Area Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association in her name by visiting http://act.alz.org/ in Mary Beth’s name.
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