Robert Charles Knablein

Service Information

Bob will be inurned at Tahoma National Cemetary.

Robert Charles Knablein, age 95, was born in Chicago, Illinois, and passed away Wednesday, July 26th, 2017, at Whatcom Hospice House, in Bellingham, WA.

He was the devoted husband of Joy Kenworthy-Knablein; the loving adopted "Grandpa Bobby" of Danielle and Michael Hyland, Steven Dykstra, and Shane, Kailey, Burgin, Emily, Breanne and Preston Abshire.

Bob Knablein served from June, 1942 through September, 1945 with the United States Army Air Corps and Air Force in WWII, as a B-24 Pilot, in the European theater of operation with the 44th Bomb Group, 68th Squadrom, 8th Air Force. He flew 31 combat missions and numerous missions flying gasoline and supplies to France from England. He attained the rank of Captain, flying troop carrier in the Air Force Reserve out of O'Hare in Chicago, IL.

Bob's first wife, Marjorie, passed away in September, 1993, in Nipomo, California. His second marriage, to Joy Kenworthy, was on Valentine's Day, 2000, the year the world was doomed. However, "Joy has me running so fast, age cannot catch me!" was his quote.

He retired from Western Electric (Lucent) in 1982, having worked for the Bell System for 41 years. He remained active in the Telephone Pioneers, serving as Chapter President and other offices, and was day manager for the 1984 Olympic Torch run from Hamilton Air Force Base in San Francisco to San Jose, California.

Having no children of his own, his true joy was spending time with Joy's children and grandchildren.

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