Topic: Russell Knipp has passed away .

[Les Kernodle]

Just heard this news , and perhaps others have more details , but Joe Dube was called by Joe Puleo who had gotten the news that Russ passed away.
He was hitting balls on a gold course and suffered a heart attack.
I only met him in passing a few times , but he was a super nice guy.
always ready to help. His Christian witness to the world impacted many lives.
A great competitor and true HERO.
Russ must have just turned 63 ,
if so inclined , please remember his family & friends in your prayers.

[Gary Deal]

I apologize for the late post but this was a  very difficult  post for me to make.  How I remember Russ Knipp: In 1969 in Warsaw Poland I broke my foot on my last Clean & Jerk attempt.  I got a cast at a local hospital however they did not put a "Walking Cast" on it.  I gave Russ  5 Twenty Dollar bills and ask him  to go out on the street and buy a crutch for me and spend it all if necessary.   Two hours later he came back with a crutch and the 5 Twenty Dollar bills and said "you owe me 10 dollars".  Is this not what we all want in a friend, somewone who will not take advantage  of us in our weakness or lie to us.  In 1970 at the Nationals in Los Angeles, Russ finished 4th in 181 lb class and was very despondent.  We decided that he should go back down to the 165lb class.  We trained together in Seattle where I lived and Arrow Head Springs CA where he was on staff at Campus Crusades for Christ.  At the 1971 Nationals he not only won but was awarded the outstanding lifter award for all of the meet.  In 1971 if it had not been for you Russ, I would not have won nationals and been able to make the Pan-Am team.  Going into the Clean and Jerk, I was cramping non-stop and had missed my first two attempts, I was soaked, you got me a dry shirt to put on, 2 bananas, 3 potassium pills and 1 salt pill and a jug of Gator-aide. You stood  back-stage  and massaged my stomach muscles non-stop  untill they stoped cramping.  I then made my final attempt, thanks to you, Russ.  Sunday when I work out I am going to do some presses and think of you.  When the young group of lifter where I train ask me why I am doing this, I will say " it is in remberance of a ledgend and dear friend."  He was called RUSS KNIPP.