Cover photo for Clement Knobbe's Obituary
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1922 Clement 2022

Clement Knobbe

February 26, 1922 — August 1, 2022

Clement Francis Knobbe was born on February 26, 1922 in Omaha, NE. He passed away peacefully on August 1, 2022.

As a child, Clem had an insatiable curiosity about nature and science. When his mother asked him why he was late getting home from school one day, he told her that he had spent the entire afternoon watching ants create an ant hill.

Clem was an entrepreneur at heart, and he paid his way through both Creighton Prep and Creighton University by managing a milk delivery business. He would rise early each morning, milk the cows, and make deliveries. Those lessons about hard work and sacrifice would last a lifetime.

After college, Clem applied for Creighton Medical School. He had no idea how to pay for it, however, so after extensive research, he enrolled in the Army Air Corp’s “Operation Bootstrap” program. It paid for his medical school and provided a monthly stipend for food and beer. He worked very hard in school, knowing that if he did not pass every class, he would be required to join the infantry. Clem went to school year-round for three years and graduated with honors as an Army Captain.

Clem moved to Denver for his residency at St. Joseph’s and Denver General Hospital. In 1946, he married Genevieve O’Neill, and they moved to Fort Riley Kansas to complete Clem’s military commitment. The couple later moved to Monte Vista, where Clem opened a private medical practice. In 1949, the family relocated to Denver, where Clem completed his education and training as a Urologist and joined the staff at St Joseph’s and Presbyterian/St Luke hospitals. During his career, Clem served on the board of directors for the Colorado Blue Cross Blue Shield Insurance Company and was a Professor Emeritus at the University of Colorado School of Medicine Urology Department.

Clem and Genevieve had four children: Fran, Jim, John, and Joe. In 1964, Clem and Genevieve divorced. He met his second wife, Mary Phelan, at a family picnic, where he administered medical assistance to one of her children. Mary came into their marriage with seven children, all of whom Clem loved as his own. Mary’s children are Shelly, Bill, Mike, Dave, Steve, Bob, and Rich. Together, Clem and Mary raised their eleven in Denver and Evergreen. When Clem and Mary could get away, they loved to travel the world. They also enjoyed spending time with their lifelong friends.

In 2012, Mary passed away. The two were married for forty-six years. Clem lived the remainder of his life at the family home in Evergreen, and then in independent living in Denver. He loved to be with his family. He never lost his unique sense of humor and lived a life full of learning and laughter. His secret to a long life included breakfasts of ice cream sundaes and bacon, and a daily glass of wine.

Clem is survived by all eleven of his children and thirty-one grand and great grandchildren.

A Reception will be held on the same day as the services from  3:00-5:00

New Terrain Brewing.

16401 Table Mtn Parkway

Golden CO

Light Hors D’oeuvres  and Craft Beer

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Clem’s honor to:

American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, or Alzheimer’s Research

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Clement Knobbe, please visit our flower store.

Service Schedule

Past Services

Recitation of the Rosary

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Starts at 10:00 am (Mountain (no DST) time)

St. James Catholic Church

1311 Oneida St, Denver, CO 80220

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Funeral Mass

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Starts at 11:00 am (Mountain (no DST) time)

St James Catholic Church

1311 Oneida St, Denver, CO 80220

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Graveside Service

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Starts at 1:00 pm (Mountain (no DST) time)

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Reception

Tuesday, August 16, 2022

Starts at 3:00 pm (Mountain (no DST) time)

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

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