Joan G Knapp

Joan Gerritsen Knapp of Ridgewood, NJ passed away on the evening of May 28, 2021 at the glorious age of 90.

She was born in Maywood, NJ on December 8th, 1930 to the late Henry and Jozina Gerritsen. She was the youngest of three children, her brother, George, and sister, Marjorie, both preceding her in death. The family moved to Ridgewood when Joan was very young. After graduating Ridgewood High School, she attended Ridgewood Secretarial School. One of her early positions was working at Merrill Lynch in New York. After impressing the brokers with her acumen, they helped her gain her broker's license, and she spent several years as one of the first female Wall Street traders. However, she soon met and married David Knapp (preceded in death April 1988) and gave up the stress and demanding hours to focus on her new family. Joan continued to work in administrative positions until her retirement.

Joan’s love affair with Ridgewood and the Hohokus Brook spanned her entire lifetime. She loved sitting on her deck in the warm sun, reminiscing about her childhood, and laughing about her young adventures and escapades. She was a dear friend to many including Nancy Zabriskie, who she met when 4 years old, both graduating from Ridgewood High School and remaining best friends for 86 years. Joan was an avid gardener, having recently mentioned that the Irises under the kitchen window were the best she’d ever seen.

Joan loved chocolate and was over the moon when delicious boxes of See’s Candies would arrive from her son, Christopher, and his family. As a great conversationalist, she especially loved sharing stories of her Dutch ancestry and how she was connecting with extended family in the Netherlands and New Zealand. An avid lover of Facebook, Joan treasured keeping in touch with family, especially her grandchildren, grandnieces and grandnephews, all of whom she was very proud of and loved deeply.

“Dearie”, as she affectionately referred to people she loved, and vice versa, lived a long, interesting life. She commuted to the New York Stock Exchange in her early years and was one of the first female stock brokers on the floor. She proudly raised two sons and would brag about Christopher being a Sergeant in the Army serving in the Gulf War, and Paul, a Ridgewood Police Officer.  

She is survived by her two children, Christopher Knapp of Altadena CA and his wife, Victoria, and Paul Knapp of Ridgewood, NJ, and his wife, Robyn; three grandchildren, Hendrick Knapp, David Knapp, and Grayson Knapp. Additionally, she is survived by seven nieces and nephews, William Hague, John Hague and his wife, Annemarie, Eric Hague and his wife Victoria, Mary Knapp, Nancy Knapp, Randy Knapp and his wife, Tracie, and Stephen Gerritsen and his wife Michelle; fifteen grand nephews and nieces, William, Jack, Katherine, Henry, Lily, Celia, John, Charles, Anne, Bryan, Eric, Shannon, Samantha, Kate, Nicole; and eleven great-grand nieces and nephews.

She will be greatly missed by her dear family and friends.