Obituary of Ronald David Knaust

East Meadow, NY – Ronald David Knaust, Sr., 87, died November 23, 2017 following a brief illness. He leaves his companion Marge Rottkamp, daughter Deborah (Lee Rogers), his son Ronald, Jr. (Jessica), his son William (Diane), Daughter-In-Law Elisabeth (wife of late son James), ten grandchildren, and three great grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his wife, Barbara (Cunningham) Knaust and his sons, Gary and James. Ron is a veteran of the Korean War where he served as a paratrooper in the U.S. Army 11th Airborne Division. He was born September 23, 1930 and grew up in Queens, NY, the son of George and Margaret (Muller) Knaust, where he met his wife, Barbara. They were married in September 1954 and moved to Long Island in 1958 where they remained together until her passing in 2003. Ron loved working outdoors and his natural ability with numbers and precision led him to his lifelong profession as a surveyor until his retirement in 1992. He was a member of the Union of Operating Engineers, Local 15 for over 50 years. He will always be remembered for his keen sense of humor and his loving devotion to his family. Viewing will be held November 30th from 7-9 p.m. at NF Walker Funeral home of Merrick. Mass will be held on December 1st at 11: a.m. at Cure of Ars Church of Merrick followed by a military ceremony at L.I. National Cemetery in Farmingdale.