Emily V. Knudsen

Emily Gertrude (Voigt) Knudsen 88, of Sandy Hook, died on March 27 in Bridgeport Hospital.

She was predeceased by her loving husband, Edward F. Knudsen.

She was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., to the late Edward and Anna (Breitweiser) Voight. She started taking piano lessons at an early age from Dr Marshal, the son of slaves. She played on many types of organs from water-powered pipe organs to the current electronic organs. She played the organ and was choir director at various churches in New Jersey, New Hampshire, and most recently in Good Shepard Lutheran Church in Monroe where she was a charter member. Emily’s first job was at Sears Roebuck in New Jersey when she was 15. She was a supervisor at Vitramon in Monroe and Newtown and was proud to have worked on the electronics for John Glenn’s historic flight. She had also been employed at Norden’s and retired in 1981 from Perkin Elmer where she worked as a pre-former of diesel components. She was a former assistant leader of a Girl Scout troop and currently was chairman of Troop 478 since 1994. Mrs Knudsen loved to travel and drove cross-country in 1981 when she retired.

She was an avid reader, letter writer, Scrabble and Upwards player, and up to date on current events and sports.

She is survived by one son, Roger Knudsen and his longtime companion, Cathie Hansen, of Sandy Hook; two daughters, Arlene Macura of Whittier, Calif., and Debra Kaza and her husband, William, of Sandy Hook; five grandchildren, Glenn Macura and his wife, Cindy Poorbaugh, of Brooklyn, N.Y., Karen Russo and her husband, Laurence, of Oakland, Calif., Dawn Kohlman and her husband, Jeff, of Centennial Colo., and David Kaza and Nicole Kaza, both of Sandy Hook; and four great grandchildren, Lauren and Cameron Russo and Austin and Alex Kohlman. In addition to her husband, she was predeceased by a sister, Maria Voigt.

Her family and friends will miss her sense of humor, positive outlook, talent, independence, love of animals, birds, and people and her title as the family storyteller.

Friends are invited to attend a Memorial Service on Saturday, April 5, at 11 am at Good Shepard Lutheran Church, 466 Elm Street, Monroe.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the Permanent Intern Fund at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Pistey Funeral Home, 2155 Main Street, Stratford.

The Newtown Bee                April 4, 2003