New Hyde Park man makes volunteering his life

When Harold Knapp’s wife of 53 years was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, he became Jacqueline’s full-time caregiver.

For 10 years, he tended to his wife every minute of every day from combing her hair to cooking her meals. He even learned to use a washing machine for the first time.

After she died in 1998, Knapp wanted to do more for his community.

“After the experience, I became compassionate about the cause. I made a complete 180,” said the World War II veteran. “It took me two years to get back to normal, and you never get over a death completely.”

Knapp, who lives in New Hyde Park, has been volunteering in his community and helping people for more than 10 years.

He started his volunteer work at the Church of Notre Dame in New Hyde Park specializing in bereavement counseling. He also volunteered with Education & Assistance Corporation’s (EAC) Senior Respite, which is based in Hempstead.

“If you go through a similar experience, you have a really good idea of how to deal with people.” Knapp said.

Although funding for Senior Respite was cut, he didn't want to stop volunteering. Through his church, he heard about Willing Heart Helpful Hands, a volunteer program at Parker Jewish Institute for Health Care and Rehabilitation. He works once a week with the program which places volunteers in homes of primary caregivers to Alzheimer’s and dementia patients.

And every Friday, Knapp teaches senior citizens to use computers in Roslyn through another EAC program -- Senior Net. The 89-year-old says the most difficult part is teaching them to properly use a mouse.

“The first computer I had was the Commodore Vic with a 3K hard drive using cassettes,” Knapp said.

Knapp has come a long way from the mid-1980s Commodore Vic. He purchased an E-Reader not too long ago.

“You know why I got the E-Reader? Because the last book I received was breaking my wrist,” he said. “It was some 800 pages.”

His daughter Gini DeVito, 61, describes her father as always curious and willing to do anything.

“Nothing holds him back. He exercises everyday. He is not one to sit around and do nothing, that would make him crazy,” DeVito said. “... He runs around with his great grand kids to the point where you get nervous. An 89-year-old running around with a two-year-old, it’s hysterical.”

As an Air Force navigator in World War II, Knapp flew in 35 missions over Germany, and that love of flying stayed. He got a pilot’s license and flew over the entire East Coast. He sold his little plane soon after he retired in 1986 from Michelin where he worked as the regional credit manager.

“He is just amazing,” said Bob Levine, a co-worker at Senior Net. “He is the most giving person I know. It’s hard to believe a man of his age does so much with so much energy.”

Levine remembered last winter, how mad he was at Knapp.

“Hal went and shoveled the snow off the sidewalks and streets for his neighbor,” said Levine, 78 of Mineola. “He did it several times! I yelled at him, told him he was out of his mind.”

Knapp says volunteering makes him happy.

“His chronological age and his mental age are two different things,” said Sandy Schneck, 74 of Valley Stream and another co-worker at Senior Net. “He has the most sincere interest in helping others.”