Andrew Knapp Obituary

Andrew Warren Knapp
Andrew Warren Knapp Jr., 97, beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather passed away peacefully on January 12, 2022 at home in Ansonia, CT surrounded by his son and granddaughter. Andy was born January 8, 1925 in Stafford Springs, CT, only son of the late Andrew Knapp and Caroline (Stehlik) Knapp. He was married to the late Lillian (Rushchak) Knapp, with whom he shared 60 years of loving marriage.
Andy grew up in Milford, CT and prior to enlisting in the Army Air Force in WWII, he learned to be an electrician and enjoyed building radios from parts. While in the 7th Army Air Force, Western Pacific Ryukyus, he achieved the rank of Corporal as a high speed radio operator. In the Pacific Theater he served in Okinawa and Guam as a radio operator, he received morse code messages from aircraft in distress and later dispatched them to submarines and surface vessels for crew pick up. After the end of the Asiatic Pacific Theater Campaign, having received a Good Conduct and Victory Medal, he returned to Milford, continued school at Milford Academy, and began Work for General Electric, Bridgeport, and US motors in Milford. At General Electric he was a television trouble shooter tasked with repairing new televison sets as they came off the assembly line. Around this time he married his wife of 60 years and opened his first business, Valmar Radio and TV, and began selling the then novel televisions from his store on Campbell Ave in West Haven. After developing a reputation for exceptional service and sales, a new company Motorola, contacted him to do radio work for the FBI. The Motorola relationship, which lasted over 40 years, and later included the Connecticut Motorist Aid Call Box system, flourished, it initially required space for installation and service of radio equipment, so he acquired land and built a building in Allingtown, West Haven, then starting Radio Communications Service Company. One of the earliest contracts he had was the installation and maintenance of the City of New Haven Radio Controlled Traffic System, known as Mr. Moto. One of the first of its kind in the country. While working with this project he patented a method to enter electronic information into the brain of the controller using an electronic pen. This device today is commonly known as the electronic stylus. The business grew, and with hundreds of Federal, Municipal, and private accounts, some required telephone interconnection with the phone network which was not permitted by ATT at the time. Andy worked with Motorola and a device manufacturer of the Carter phone, which acoustically coupled a telephone to a radio network, to change this. This led to the Landmark FCC decision known as the Carterphone decision which allowed interconnection to the ATT network. With interconnection permitted, Andy formed an additional business called Paging Associates, Inc. , which provided voice radio paging service and alpha numeric beepers in Connecticut. Paging coverage required tall towers, and they were built, later to be used by cellphone carriers. Having a tall tower in West Haven on Allingtown hill, allowed for an additional opportunity, the creation of broadcast televison station TV28 in West Haven. TV28 under mayor Sal Guerra was given a Key to the City. All these business ventures exist to this day in one form or another.
Andy loved sailing and for many years was a member of the Prospect Beach Yacht Club in West Haven, and later the West Haven Yacht Club, where he launched his boat, the ANDY K. He had a passion for music and as an accomplished piano player, learned from his time at the Milford Academy, would play for hours at home or when visiting. He also enjoyed listening to Frank Sinatra and Diane Schuur, playing both on piano and saxophone which he self taught himself in his later years. Andy was also a member of the Masonic Annawon Lodge in West Haven. He was well read and always welcomed spirited conversation about politics, music, and technology.
Andy is survived by his son Robert Knapp, granddaughters Kathleen Knapp and Andrea Clarizio, her husband Jamie Clarizio, and two great grandchildren Corey Clarizio and Liliana Clarizio. His loving family remember him for his steadfast devotion to his wife and family, his enthusiastic curiosity and interest in others, and his cheerfulness and positive outlook on life. A private memorial service will be held in the spring where both he and his late wife, Lillian, will be interred together at the Connecticut State Veterans Cemetery with honors.
In leiu of flowers, a donation may be made to The First Church of Christ, Woodbridge CT.