IN LOVING MEMORY OF
Rockne
Knuth
April 28, 1941 – July 23, 2025
Obituary
Rockne "Rocky" Allen Knuth, 84, passed away peacefully at Edenbrook of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin under the care of St. Croix Hospice on July 23, 2025. He was born on April 28, 1941, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Carl Knuth and Florence Freda (Hoffman) Knuth. In 1950 his family relocated to Fond du Lac. He graduated from L.P. Goodrich High School in 1959, where he met his high school sweetheart, Ann. The two were married in 1963 and shared 50 wonderful years together.
Rocky dedicated his life to service, education, and art. He began his career with the Fond du Lac Health Department, testing water quality to help ensure the safety of local communities. He later managed the Audubon Camp in Sarona, Wisconsin, sharing his love of nature with others. As a social worker for ADVOCAP in Fond du Lac, where he connected families with vital resources to help improve their lives. He also worked with troubled youth, offering guidance and helping them find stability and direction.
In addition to his public service, Rocky was an accomplished professional artist, specializing in wildlife and portrait painting. He earned recognition across the country, winning numerous competitions for duck, turkey, and trout stamp designs. He shared his passion by teaching art classes and helped foster a community of wildlife artists in the region, forming lifelong friendships through their shared passion.
Later in life, he returned to his roots of community work serving as a job coach for adults with special needs and as a daycare worker for children. In every role he took on, Rocky's goal was the same: to improve the world around him and make life a little better for everyone he met.
Rocky was a lifelong birdwatcher, fisherman, and lover of nature. In the early 1970s he served as the Vice President for the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology (WSO), and in 1983 he was honored with the Silver Passenger Pigeon Award for his distinguished service to the WSO.
His passion for nature led him on many adventures, including multiple road trips deep into Mexico where he observed the wildlife of the forests and jungles of San Luis Potosí, the plains and mountains of Nuevo León, and the wetlands of Tamaulipas. His love of travel and wildlife also took him to South America, where he traveled the southern coast of Brazil and spent time birdwatching and fishing in the vast wetlands of the Pantanal. In Europe, he visited his ancestral homeland of Germany visiting his distant relatives in Nuremberg and Zeil am Main and celebrated his and Ann's 50th wedding anniversary in Paris. He traveled extensively throughout the United States, birdwatching and fishing along the coasts of Florida and Louisiana. He explored the open plains of the Dakotas and the mountains of the American West. He fished the clear, winding waters of the Ozarks and Appalachians. He watched whales off the coasts of California and Massachusetts and found quiet comfort in the timeless charm of New England and the Eastern Seaboard. Wherever his travels took him, Rocky had a gift for seeing the beauty of each place—a beauty that found its way into his art, captured in every brushstroke.
Rockne is preceded in death by his wife, Ann Knuth; his parents, Carl and Florence Knuth; and his brother, Carl "Spike" Knuth. He is survived by his sister, Karen Knuth Hoying and children: Linda (and Darwin) Respalje and their children, Avery, Jennifer and Lindsay; Kevin (and Emily) Knuth and their children, Henry and Lucy; Joshua (and Rebekah) Knuth; and Shannon Knuth Diettinger, her daughters, Madelyn and Ashley, and Ashley's children Alexis, Skylyn, Lorali, and Annabelle.
A celebration of Rockne's life will be announced at a later date, allowing the family time to plan a gathering that honors his memory.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Free Arts ( freeartsaz.org ), an organization that helps children who have experienced trauma heal through art therapy — a cause deeply meaningful to Rockne.
Our family extends heartfelt thanks to the nurses and staff at Edenbrook of Fond du Lac, as well as St. Croix Hospice, for their compassionate care and unwavering support in helping Rockne navigate his final journey with peace, dignity, and love.
Rocky dedicated his life to service, education, and art. He began his career with the Fond du Lac Health Department, testing water quality to help ensure the safety of local communities. He later managed the Audubon Camp in Sarona, Wisconsin, sharing his love of nature with others. As a social worker for ADVOCAP in Fond du Lac, where he connected families with vital resources to help improve their lives. He also worked with troubled youth, offering guidance and helping them find stability and direction.
In addition to his public service, Rocky was an accomplished professional artist, specializing in wildlife and portrait painting. He earned recognition across the country, winning numerous competitions for duck, turkey, and trout stamp designs. He shared his passion by teaching art classes and helped foster a community of wildlife artists in the region, forming lifelong friendships through their shared passion.
Later in life, he returned to his roots of community work serving as a job coach for adults with special needs and as a daycare worker for children. In every role he took on, Rocky's goal was the same: to improve the world around him and make life a little better for everyone he met.
Rocky was a lifelong birdwatcher, fisherman, and lover of nature. In the early 1970s he served as the Vice President for the Wisconsin Society for Ornithology (WSO), and in 1983 he was honored with the Silver Passenger Pigeon Award for his distinguished service to the WSO.
His passion for nature led him on many adventures, including multiple road trips deep into Mexico where he observed the wildlife of the forests and jungles of San Luis Potosí, the plains and mountains of Nuevo León, and the wetlands of Tamaulipas. His love of travel and wildlife also took him to South America, where he traveled the southern coast of Brazil and spent time birdwatching and fishing in the vast wetlands of the Pantanal. In Europe, he visited his ancestral homeland of Germany visiting his distant relatives in Nuremberg and Zeil am Main and celebrated his and Ann's 50th wedding anniversary in Paris. He traveled extensively throughout the United States, birdwatching and fishing along the coasts of Florida and Louisiana. He explored the open plains of the Dakotas and the mountains of the American West. He fished the clear, winding waters of the Ozarks and Appalachians. He watched whales off the coasts of California and Massachusetts and found quiet comfort in the timeless charm of New England and the Eastern Seaboard. Wherever his travels took him, Rocky had a gift for seeing the beauty of each place—a beauty that found its way into his art, captured in every brushstroke.
Rockne is preceded in death by his wife, Ann Knuth; his parents, Carl and Florence Knuth; and his brother, Carl "Spike" Knuth. He is survived by his sister, Karen Knuth Hoying and children: Linda (and Darwin) Respalje and their children, Avery, Jennifer and Lindsay; Kevin (and Emily) Knuth and their children, Henry and Lucy; Joshua (and Rebekah) Knuth; and Shannon Knuth Diettinger, her daughters, Madelyn and Ashley, and Ashley's children Alexis, Skylyn, Lorali, and Annabelle.
A celebration of Rockne's life will be announced at a later date, allowing the family time to plan a gathering that honors his memory.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Free Arts ( freeartsaz.org ), an organization that helps children who have experienced trauma heal through art therapy — a cause deeply meaningful to Rockne.
Our family extends heartfelt thanks to the nurses and staff at Edenbrook of Fond du Lac, as well as St. Croix Hospice, for their compassionate care and unwavering support in helping Rockne navigate his final journey with peace, dignity, and love.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Rockne Knuth, please visit our flower store.
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