David "Dave" Robert KNUDSON

David R Knudson
February 7, 1946 - December 29, 2020

David “Dave” R. Knudson, born in De Smet, South Dakota, on February 7, 1946, died peacefully at Dougherty Hospice in Sioux Falls on December 29, 2020, surrounded with love and comfort. Following a devastating cancer diagnosis and grueling abdominal surgery in the summer of 2018, the odds said Dave had less than six months to live. Despite decades of attentive listening to his patients, Dave didn’t listen this time. With a veteran’s grit, a runner’s determination, Norwegian stubbornness, and the love and support of his family and close friends, Dave defied the odds. Dave will be remembered for his grace, humor, love, humility, and courage, which live and breathe through the people close to him.

Dave touched the lives of many more people as a professional licensed counselor focusing on chemical dependency interventions and counseling for drug, alcohol, and mental health issues, including his formative work as an in-house counselor at the phone company during the tumultuous 1980s. Dave’s interest in helping others took shape with his work as a counselor at Lutheran Outdoors youth camps, explaining why camp experiences are so dear to his heart.

As a high school and collegiate athlete, Dave enjoyed running. Enjoyed is not the right word. Dave found life, spirituality, optimism, invigoration, achievement, and freedom through running, and was still running (and walking regularly) even into 2020. In fact, after days with minimal wakefulness at Hospice, Dave went for walks with only the aid of a walker.

Dave enjoyed attending Augustana athletic events, going to movies (and, more recently, binging movies and series on streaming services), watching the Twins and Vikings, going out to eat with friends, shopping for the latest hi-tech athletic apparel, reading fiction novels, and spending time with his grandchildren.

Dave had many expressions and unique ways of describing things, one of which Dave-isms is “say so.” If you see something that makes you frustrated, thankful, or praiseworthy, then say so. Dave and his family would like to “say so” and thank the following people: Dr. Thavam Thambi-Pillai and his surgical team, nurse Carol McGinnis who was incredibly skilled at working miracles with Dave’s feeding tube, the compassionate staff in the Sanford Emergency Department on the occasions where emergent needs arose throughout his cancer journey, as well as the Sanford oncology team, who added years to Dave’s life; everyone at Dougherty Hospice for their kindness in the final weeks; and the many friends who provided support to Dave over the last couple of years.

Through running, his military service, counseling profession, and life experience, Dave learned to live his life with grit. In fact, after Dave was declared free of prostate cancer, he tattooed “GRIT” on his left forearm along with the date he “rang the bell” at the oncology clinic. About a year later, Dave was diagnosed with a different abdominal cancer, and he vowed to apply the same grit as he did previously. And he most certainly did that.

Dave will be missed by his girls, Kristen Peterson (Sioux Falls, SD) and Kate Wolters (Alexandria, VA); their husbands, Mitch Peterson and Brad Wolters; his four granddaughters, Molly Kate, Elizabeth, Abigail and Anne; and his extended family and friends.

Public visitation will take place from 4:00-7:00 p.m. at Heritage Funeral Home at 57th Street & Minnesota Avenue in Sioux Falls on Tuesday, January 5, 2021. Private family funeral services and burial at Woodlawn Cemetery will take place on Wednesday, January 6, 2021.
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Section East Knoll - Plot 70

Contributed on 9/12/21 by 9katz
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Record #: 272681

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