Editor’s note: This is one of a continuing online series of profiles of the more than 12,000 Hoosiers who have died from COVID-19. The stories are from 12 Indiana newspapers, including The Republic, who collaborated to create the collection to highlight the tremendous loss that the pandemic has created. The series appears daily at therepublic.com.
Name: Parker Knoll
City/Town: Indianapolis
Age: 68
Died: April 10
Pastor Parker Knoll and his son, Jon, spent their last day together at a Chicago Blackhawks game.
Born and raised in Illinois, Pastor Knoll was a fan of the Cubs, Bulls, Bears and Hawks. But he had never seen the latter in person. So, for the March 8, 2020, game against the rival St. Louis Blues, father and son took a trip to Chicago, getting their fill of Garrett popcorn and Gino’s East pizza before heading to the United Center.
“The Blues won, 2-to-nothing, but he didn’t care,” Jon said. “He just loved being at the game.”
Knoll died of COVID-19 on April 10 — Good Friday. He was 68.
Throughout his decades-long career in ministry, Knoll served as a pastor at Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, St. John Lutheran in Indianapolis, Concordia Lutheran in Louisville, Trinity Lutheran in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and St. Paul Lutheran in Dubuque, Iowa.
“He loved Jesus, he loved his family and he loved people,” Jon said.
He was passionate about sharing his love of God with others, Jon said, making home and hospital visits to minister and canvassing neighborhoods to evangelize.
He continued to fill in at area churches even after retiring from full-time preaching in 2013. Knoll last preached in August 2019 at Christ Lutheran Church in Irvington.
“He was just a humble servant of God,” his wife, Linda, said.
That was evident to all who knew him, said St. John Lutheran Church Senior Pastor Troy Countryman.
“Pastor Knoll loved Jesus with all his heart,” Countryman said, “and he conveyed that love to his family and all those he served.”
When not ministering, Knoll gardened — his father ran a greenhouse as he was growing up — tending to his geraniums and other seasonal flowers. He often shared gardening tips and knowledge with his daughter-in-law, Gretchen.
And he loved sports, cheering for his beloved Chicago teams as well as the Indianapolis Colts and Indiana Pacers.
Knoll adored his 2-year-old granddaughter, Charlotte, and shared with her his love of Disney’s “Dumbo” — a movie she’s asked to watch several times since he fell ill.
Around mid-March, he developed a cough he initially attributed to allergies. But it persisted, and a pneumonia diagnosis soon followed.
He was hospitalized on breathing support for about two weeks, Jon said. When it was evident he was going to pass, his care team at Franciscan Health arranged a Zoom call for the family and their pastors. They said the Lord’s Prayer and a final blessing.
After saying goodbye, Knoll’s wife, son and family recited his favorite hymn, “I Know that My Redeemer Lives.”
He lives to silence all my fears; He lives to wipe away my tears; He lives to calm my troubled heart; He lives all blessings to impart.
By the time they finished singing, he was gone.
“He always told people whenever somebody died, they’ve got the victory in Jesus,” Jon said, “and that’s what we’ll remember.”
— Contributed by the Indianapolis Star
