Jerry Lee Knispel, 79

Jerry Lee Knispel passed away on October 18, 2025 in hospice in Rapid City SD after a long illness.

He was born to Marcella (Newsom) Knispel and James M. Knispel on August 21, 1946, in Rapid City, SD. He graduated from Rapid City High School in 1968 after which he joined the U.S. Navy and served on the USS Enterprise from 1968 to 1972. During the Viet Nam Conflict, Jerry visited a number of ports including Subic Bay in the Philippines as well as living in San Diego, CA. Jerry returned to Rapid City after his service in the Navy in 1972. He always said he had to live where he could always see the Black Hills.

Jerry married Deb Johnson on August 9, 1984. They had one daughter, Jade, who was the light of his life.

Jerry worked at Big D and Tesoro retail gas stations as well as Burlington Northern Railroad. The job he enjoyed most was at the School of Mines and Technology as a maintenance worker. He enjoyed talking to various professors about their classes and projects. After he was injured on the job, Jerry retired.

Jerry was a member of the VFW, American Legion, DAV, Mopar Owners Club, and ABATE. One of his proudest moments was the rebuilding of a Harley Davidson

motorcycle and giving it to the son of his friend, Charlie, who had died in an accident. Jerry had a passion for motorcycles and Harley Davidson’s in particular. He bought his first motorcycle at 16 and later built his own motorcycle which he called Jaws. Jerry owned several Harley’s over the years and his favorite was a 1995 Soft Tail that he won on a five card Poker Run. He attended the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally for many, many years.

In addition to motorcycles, Jerry was a Mopar fan owning a number of Dodge Darts, some of which won trophies at various car shows. Photography was a pastime and love of Jerry’s. He often traveled the highways and back roads of the Black Hills taking photographs of local scenery. Jerry had a deep love of family and friends. Having lived in Rapid City most of his life, Jerry knew many people and was known as a helpful and dependable friend. Tom Ashmore, Debbie Brewer, and Danny Schaeffer’s friendship was very important to him and he depended on them in his last years due to his failing health. Bill and Peggy Napoli, Don Salway, and Jerry Atwater were close friends of many years. His cousins Rollie (Teri) Knispel, Linda (Mark) Birnbaum, Mike (Judy) Harris, John (Kim) Gunther - the little brother he never had, Patty Haskell, and Don (Kathy) Knispel were life-long companions.

He was preceded in death by his parents James Knispel and Marcella Knispel; grandparents Arthur Knispel, and Veva Knispel, Fred, and Bertha Newsom; aunts and uncles, Ralph and June Gunther, Kay Van Diviner, David Van Diviner, Boyd and Geneva Harris; cousins LuAnn (Steve) Remund and Sherry and Tom Roth.

He is survived by his daughter Jade Knispel of Rapid City SD; and sisters Jan Knispel of Valentine, NE, and Karol (David) Knispel- Sindt of Sioux City IA.

Services were held October 23, 2025 at Kirks Funeral Home in Rapid City SD, with interment at the Black Hills National Cemetery, Sturgis SD.