Judith "Judy" A. Knapp (nee Nagel)

Age 81 1/2, of Hammond, IN, passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 13, 2025 of natural causes. She is survived by her loving daughter, Kathryn L. Knapp, grand-dog Polly, sister Patricia L. Butcko, many dear friends and extended family members, especially Raymond N. (Jenny) Shaw, Michael (Kana) Shaw and Kathleen (Michal) Uchman. Preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Margaret Nagel; fiancée Raymond M. Shaw, ex-husband Clement B. "Skip" Knapp, Jr. and brother-in-law Joe D. Butcko.

Born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Judy was a pioneer from the start. After graduating from Concordia Lutheran High School in Ft. Wayne, she attended Indiana University, where she earned a Bachelor's degree in 1965. Judy didn't stop there, becoming one of the earliest women to earn a Master's Degree in Business Administration with a Marketing concentration at IU in 1967.

Judy married Skip after graduation and the two eventually found their way to the historic Wolf/Knapp house in Hammond. Judy worked in computer programming (before it was cool), concentrating on computers as big as rooms, with punch cards. Then an opportunity arose that she couldn't resist.

In 1983 Judy became a computer programming professor at Indiana University Northwest, teaching students the many languages of computers – Cobol, C++, Data Structures, etc... An early expert in the field, she wrote a textbook, published in 1989 – "Data Structures for Business Programming." During nearly 24 years as a professor, her greatest joy was teaching her students. She retired in 2007 with the rank of Associate Professor and Faculty Emeritus.

An avid supporter of young women Judy served on the board for the Girl Scouts. She also was a 50 plus-year member of both the Daughters of the American Revolution and Pi Sigma Phi Sorority. She loved gardening, reading and traveling. In truth, Judy loved any time she could spend in the sun, from gardening, floating on a raft, riding in a boat or sitting alongside a pool or lake. She especially enjoyed watching the loons and eagles in Northern Wisconsin and Michigan, where she was a frequent visitor. Judy also became a soccer fan, traveling with Kathryn around the country to support IU soccer, Chicago Fire or U.S. Soccer and of course, her daughter.

Judy will be fondly remembered as a devoted mother and sister, a loyal friend and neighbor, and a kind, compassionate soul, who went out of her way to help humans and animals in need.

Friends may visit with the family on Saturday, February 22, 2025 from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM at Solan Pruzin Funeral Home, 7109 Calumet Ave., HAMMOND, IN. A Service celebrating Judy's life will be held at 1:00 PM with Deacon Jim Renwick officiating. Services conclude at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Loon Project https://loonproject.org/donate/) or Indiana University Northwest General Education Fund (https://go.iu.edu/8ssG).