Alice Darlene Knapp

KNAPP-Alice Darlene age 83, Crown Point, Indiana. Previously resided in Orland Park, Illinois. She passed away Friday, April 28, 2023 after a brief illness. Alice was her legal name, but she used her middle name Darlene her entire life. Darlene was born and raised in Whatcom County, Bellingham, Washington.  A place she loved and always wanted to return home to. She is survived by: Her Partner, Carol Skupnik, her sister Sondra (Elwood) Penfold, Her daughters, Diana Lamber, Tracy DeGoey (Anthony), Carina Squire (Dave).  Nephew, Rick Penfold. Grandchildren Sarah, Katherine, Caitlyn, Jason, Stephanie, Rachel, Christian, and six Great-Grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Harry B. Elwood and Irene Elwood, grandchild Laurie and nephew, Mike Haug.

Darlene worked assorted jobs in her lifetime but spent 30 years with Lee Enterprises in South Holland, Illinois as a homeworker then Supervisor of a mail house. In Darlene's growing up years she loved animals especially horses. She had a white
arabian, a retired racehorse, and a colt. In her early years for a period of time she lived in Kirkland and would cool and exercise racehorses at Long Acres, the largest thoroughbred racetrack in Washington State, now known as Emerald Downs. While a teenager in Bellingham, she helped train and show horses at horse competitions. She rode both Western and English style. After she married, she and her then husband, Carl Knapp, moved to Illinois, she changed her interest from horses to dogs. She especially loved her poodle and two Doberman pinschers. She became an expert dog trainer winning many awards and appearing in a National Dog magazine.

What most people don’t know about Darlene is that she was a talented and wonderful artist. Her specialty was drawing or painting horses. Her work would have compared to any sold in the Kentucky Derby Churchill Downs gift shop. Her freehand drawings and artwork were exceptional. Unfortunately, after storage problems and flooding there is not a copy to be found. In later years her arthritic hands prevented her from any artwork. Darlene loved her close friends and family. Her passion was traveling and she took trips all over the world.

Services will be held Saturday May 6, 2023 at Hillside Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8941 Kleinman Rd (one block south of Ridge Rd) Highland, IN 46322 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

Her ashes will be transported by her partner, Carol, Her daughter, Tracy, and husband, Tony, to Bellingham, Washington.

For additional information, please contact Hillside Funeral Home & Cremation Center Konnie Kuiper-Michael Kuiper-Vass by calling us at 219-838-0800 or visiting us at www.hillsidefhcares.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Alice Darlene Knapp, please visit our floral store.