Harold A. Knecht

Harold A. Knecht, 87, of Davenport, FL, formerly of Robinson, IL, passed away on March 10, 2026, at the George C. Forsythe Hospice House in Auburndale, FL. Born on April 20, 1938, in Casey, IL, he was raised on the family farm in Annapolis. It was a kind of upbringing that gave him a love for hard work and a life spent close to the land, both of which stayed with him long after his boyhood days were over. After graduating from Hutsonville High School with the Class of 1956, he stepped into adult life already carrying the hardworking nature for which he would long be known.

For a time, he and his brother, Gary, owned the first filling station in Hutsonville, but after Gary's untimely death, Harold sold the business and soon found himself serving his country in the United States Navy. As a Machinist Mate aboard the USS Raleigh LPD-1, he helped transport Marines as part of his service. When his time in the Navy ended, he returned home, worked for the State of Illinois for a while, and eventually found his stride as a truck driver. It was work that really fit him. Harold spent 28 years on the road as a member of the Teamsters Union, including 20 years with Commercial Lovelace out of Terre Haute, along with time at Morris Trucking, Rocket Motor Freight, and others, before retiring in 1999.

It should come as no surprise that Harold was always drawn to things with wheels, engines, and horsepower. Old cars and antique tractors caught his eye, especially International Harvesters, and he always enjoyed a good tractor pull. He also never stopped talking about his first car, a '57 Ford, and his love of driving fast was something his kids came by honestly. Even so, there was more to Harold than work and machinery. He loved Westerns, whether on the screen or in the pages of a book, and he read every Louis L'Amour novel he could get his hands on, probably more than once. But even those favorite pastimes took a back seat to family. Harold loved talking about his brothers and sisters, and it was clear that those bonds meant the world to him. They stayed close, took care of each other, and carried that family loyalty with them through the years.

That same love was evident in the way Harold gave himself to his children and grandchildren. He enjoyed following his grandkids around, taking them places, and making room for the moments that mattered. Many of those memories were made on family vacations to Florida. After spending winters there for a number of years, Harold made Florida his permanent home in 2018. In the end, it felt fitting that the place that had held so many family memories would also become home.

Taken together, those memories tell the story of a man who lived simply, worked faithfully, and loved his family deeply. Harold leaves behind not only memories, but a way of living that was unmistakably his.

He is survived by his former wife of 50 years, Karen "Sue" Knecht; by his children, Ellen (Jim) Lindley and Michael (Tabitha) Knecht; by four grandchildren, Megan Lindley, Payton (Austin) Croup, Dakota (Sam) Murphy, and Kienan (Harli) Knecht; by his great-grandchildren, Millie Murphy, Atlas Knecht, and Aria Knecht; by his siblings, Verna Walton, Hazel DeDoming, Glenn Knecht, Ross "Butch" Knecht, and Rex Knecht; as well as several nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Raymond Vere Knecht & Emogene (Burt) Knecht; his brother, Gary Leon Knecht; and his sisters, Oca Blankenbeker and Lois Cutright.

It was his wish to be cremated, and his remains will be laid to rest in York Cemetery. The Goodwine Funeral Home in Robinson is assisting the family at this time.