ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Tom Knapp, age 62, of Elk River, MN, passed away Friday, April 26, 2013 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN after a prolonged battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis.
He was born September 30, 1950 in Maple Plain, MN, the youngest of five children born to Howard and Virginia Knapp. He is survived by his wife Colleen, two stepchildren, Christopher and Alison, four step grandchildren, and a brother, John of Montana.
Tom started out working for what was then Hennepin County Parks for 25 years before becoming a sponsored exhibition shooter. Tom was ten years old when he saw a televised performance of legendary exhibition shooter Herb Parsons. It was Tom's lifelong dream to do the same one day. To say he lived up to his dream is an understatement! Tom spent the next 26 years performing for audiences all over the world, for crowds as large as 8,000 people and setting 3 world records along the way.
Tom currently holds two world records for breaking simultaneously hand thrown targets. On July 19, 2000 he broke 8 targets in 1.87 seconds with a pump shotgun. On October 20, 2004 he broke 10 targets with 10 shots in 2.2 seconds using a semi-automatic shotgun, breaking his previous record of 9 targets set in 1993. In 2005, Knapp was inducted into the Shooter's Hall of Fame at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, WY.
Tom appeared on numerous television shows including Benelli's "American Birdhunter", "Sharpshooters" on the History Channel and "Shooting Stars" on Discovery Channel. He was a very talented man that could have earned a living solely on television and radio. What a marvelous and commanding voice he had!
Tom lived to perform and was an "old fashioned" showman. Half his show was about Tom just being Tom. He was a larger than life character that carried his fame and celebrity status with ease. Tom never met a stranger and was very comfortable sitting on a tailgate talking to people he had just met as if they were old friends. His character, humor, talent and wit were second to none. He made a lot of great memories for many people including those who attended his shows during his visits to the Ashmore area the past two years.
When Tom was not out on the road performing, he enjoyed spending his time on his property in northern Minnesota, fishing with friends and activities with his grandchildren. His pride and joy were his grandchildren.
Per his wishes, there will be no funeral services. Family and friends will gather at 1 p.m. on May 11, 2013 at the Del Tone/Luth Gun Club in St. Cloud, MN to celebrate his life. The family suggests that memorials be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org
He was born September 30, 1950 in Maple Plain, MN, the youngest of five children born to Howard and Virginia Knapp. He is survived by his wife Colleen, two stepchildren, Christopher and Alison, four step grandchildren, and a brother, John of Montana.
Tom started out working for what was then Hennepin County Parks for 25 years before becoming a sponsored exhibition shooter. Tom was ten years old when he saw a televised performance of legendary exhibition shooter Herb Parsons. It was Tom's lifelong dream to do the same one day. To say he lived up to his dream is an understatement! Tom spent the next 26 years performing for audiences all over the world, for crowds as large as 8,000 people and setting 3 world records along the way.
Tom currently holds two world records for breaking simultaneously hand thrown targets. On July 19, 2000 he broke 8 targets in 1.87 seconds with a pump shotgun. On October 20, 2004 he broke 10 targets with 10 shots in 2.2 seconds using a semi-automatic shotgun, breaking his previous record of 9 targets set in 1993. In 2005, Knapp was inducted into the Shooter's Hall of Fame at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, WY.
Tom appeared on numerous television shows including Benelli's "American Birdhunter", "Sharpshooters" on the History Channel and "Shooting Stars" on Discovery Channel. He was a very talented man that could have earned a living solely on television and radio. What a marvelous and commanding voice he had!
Tom lived to perform and was an "old fashioned" showman. Half his show was about Tom just being Tom. He was a larger than life character that carried his fame and celebrity status with ease. Tom never met a stranger and was very comfortable sitting on a tailgate talking to people he had just met as if they were old friends. His character, humor, talent and wit were second to none. He made a lot of great memories for many people including those who attended his shows during his visits to the Ashmore area the past two years.
When Tom was not out on the road performing, he enjoyed spending his time on his property in northern Minnesota, fishing with friends and activities with his grandchildren. His pride and joy were his grandchildren.
Per his wishes, there will be no funeral services. Family and friends will gather at 1 p.m. on May 11, 2013 at the Del Tone/Luth Gun Club in St. Cloud, MN to celebrate his life. The family suggests that memorials be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org
ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Tom Knapp, age 62, of Elk River, MN, passed away Friday, April 26, 2013 at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN after a prolonged battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis.
He was born September 30, 1950 in Maple Plain, MN, the youngest of five children born to Howard and Virginia Knapp. He is survived by his wife Colleen, two stepchildren, Christopher and Alison, four step grandchildren, and a brother, John of Montana.
Tom started out working for what was then Hennepin County Parks for 25 years before becoming a sponsored exhibition shooter. Tom was ten years old when he saw a televised performance of legendary exhibition shooter Herb Parsons. It was Tom's lifelong dream to do the same one day. To say he lived up to his dream is an understatement! Tom spent the next 26 years performing for audiences all over the world, for crowds as large as 8,000 people and setting 3 world records along the way.
Tom currently holds two world records for breaking simultaneously hand thrown targets. On July 19, 2000 he broke 8 targets in 1.87 seconds with a pump shotgun. On October 20, 2004 he broke 10 targets with 10 shots in 2.2 seconds using a semi-automatic shotgun, breaking his previous record of 9 targets set in 1993. In 2005, Knapp was inducted into the Shooter's Hall of Fame at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, WY.
Tom appeared on numerous television shows including Benelli's "American Birdhunter", "Sharpshooters" on the History Channel and "Shooting Stars" on Discovery Channel. He was a very talented man that could have earned a living solely on television and radio. What a marvelous and commanding voice he had!
Tom lived to perform and was an "old fashioned" showman. Half his show was about Tom just being Tom. He was a larger than life character that carried his fame and celebrity status with ease. Tom never met a stranger and was very comfortable sitting on a tailgate talking to people he had just met as if they were old friends. His character, humor, talent and wit were second to none. He made a lot of great memories for many people including those who attended his shows during his visits to the Ashmore area the past two years.
When Tom was not out on the road performing, he enjoyed spending his time on his property in northern Minnesota, fishing with friends and activities with his grandchildren. His pride and joy were his grandchildren.
Per his wishes, there will be no funeral services. Family and friends will gather at 1 p.m. on May 11, 2013 at the Del Tone/Luth Gun Club in St. Cloud, MN to celebrate his life. The family suggests that memorials be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org
He was born September 30, 1950 in Maple Plain, MN, the youngest of five children born to Howard and Virginia Knapp. He is survived by his wife Colleen, two stepchildren, Christopher and Alison, four step grandchildren, and a brother, John of Montana.
Tom started out working for what was then Hennepin County Parks for 25 years before becoming a sponsored exhibition shooter. Tom was ten years old when he saw a televised performance of legendary exhibition shooter Herb Parsons. It was Tom's lifelong dream to do the same one day. To say he lived up to his dream is an understatement! Tom spent the next 26 years performing for audiences all over the world, for crowds as large as 8,000 people and setting 3 world records along the way.
Tom currently holds two world records for breaking simultaneously hand thrown targets. On July 19, 2000 he broke 8 targets in 1.87 seconds with a pump shotgun. On October 20, 2004 he broke 10 targets with 10 shots in 2.2 seconds using a semi-automatic shotgun, breaking his previous record of 9 targets set in 1993. In 2005, Knapp was inducted into the Shooter's Hall of Fame at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center in Cody, WY.
Tom appeared on numerous television shows including Benelli's "American Birdhunter", "Sharpshooters" on the History Channel and "Shooting Stars" on Discovery Channel. He was a very talented man that could have earned a living solely on television and radio. What a marvelous and commanding voice he had!
Tom lived to perform and was an "old fashioned" showman. Half his show was about Tom just being Tom. He was a larger than life character that carried his fame and celebrity status with ease. Tom never met a stranger and was very comfortable sitting on a tailgate talking to people he had just met as if they were old friends. His character, humor, talent and wit were second to none. He made a lot of great memories for many people including those who attended his shows during his visits to the Ashmore area the past two years.
When Tom was not out on the road performing, he enjoyed spending his time on his property in northern Minnesota, fishing with friends and activities with his grandchildren. His pride and joy were his grandchildren.
Per his wishes, there will be no funeral services. Family and friends will gather at 1 p.m. on May 11, 2013 at the Del Tone/Luth Gun Club in St. Cloud, MN to celebrate his life. The family suggests that memorials be made to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org
Gravesite Details
"HERE LIES A PRETTY GOOD SHOT" as he quoted in an interview for Minnesota Bound, when asked what he would want on his tombstone.
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