Col. Roger Evans Knapper, USMC (Ret.)'s Obituary
ROGER KNAPPER, Colonel, United States Marine Corps (Retired), of Woodbridge, Virginia, passed away on August 21, 2014 at the age of 77. Roger was born on March 29, 1937 in Grayson County, Kentucky to the late William and Laura Knapper. He attended Male High School in Louisville, Kentucky and, upon graduation in 1954, received a Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) scholarship to the University of South Carolina (USC). Upon graduation from USC in 1958, Roger was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the Marine Corps. Over the next 27 years, Roger served the Marine Corps with great distinction. He was an infantry officer, distinguished marksman, aerial observer, and parachutist. He served two tours in Vietnam, held numerous leadership positions at both the company and field grade levels, and received a plethora of personal awards and unit citations, including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal with Combat “V” (two awards), Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V,” and Purple Heart.
Following his retirement from the Marine Corps as a Colonel in 1985, Roger enjoyed spending time with his immediate family – two sons (Kurt and Marc), their wives (Kristen and Suzuko), and three grandsons (Christian, Reed, and Alex) – as well as numerous friends and his beloved cats. He had a great sense of humor, never passed on a chance to debate the issues of the day, and was unfailingly passionate about life, people, and animals. Most importantly, he was a loving father and great friend, and could always be counted on whenever he was needed. He will be dearly missed, but forever loved and never forgotten.
A celebration of Roger’s life will occur on Sunday, September 14 from 3:00-6:00 p.m. at Loudoun Funeral Chapel in Leesburg, Virginia.
He will then be interred with military honors on Thursday, September 18 at 2:00 p.m. at Quantico National Cemetery, Triangle, Virginia.
Donations, in lieu of flowers, can be made on Roger’s behalf to the Marine Corps University Foundation, which he was instrumental in establishing in 1980
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