Emilia “Mimi” Moncada ’43 Knooihuizen
Emilia Giovanna “Mimi” Knooihuizen passed away on June 12, 2020 at her home in Hudson, OH while surrounded by family members.
She is preceded in death by her daughter Margaret Marie, her parents, the Reverend Pietro S and Emma Plavan Moncada, sister Clelia (Tom) Smith and brother Valdo (Mary).
Mimi was born in 1923 and grew up in Newburgh, NY where she attended Newburgh Free Academy. Upon graduating high school, she went to Hope College in Holland, Michigan where she met the love of her life Delbert S Knooihuizen. After graduating from Hope College, she went on to Rush Presbyterian Hospital in Chicago to become a Registered Nurse. She and Delbert were married by her father at his church in Newburgh and spent 73 wonderful years together starting off in East Lansing, Michigan then Detroit, Michigan and Shaker Heights, Ohio. She and Del would celebrate many anniversaries with Del’s sister Mary Ann (Chuck) Bradley who chose the same marriage date 10 years later. With the birth of her children, she became a homemaker volunteering at her church and at the schools her children attended. When her children got older, she went back to work as a school nurse at St. Dominic School in Shaker Hts., and at Shaker Heights High School. She was a longtime active member of the Church of the Saviour in Cleveland Heights, OH and a member of the Wesley Class there.
She and Del joined a Bridge Card group at the Church of the Saviour which developed into a very special group of life-long friends who got together for bridge games, travel and more. Her creative side came out in the cakes she decorated for special holidays and the costumes she made for Halloween and parties. She and Del loved to travel and enjoyed the trips to visit family and friends around the U.S. and the world. They became close with their high school exchange student Peter (Doris) Renz and stayed in close contact with him through out her life with many visits both here and in Germany. There were numerous trips to Italy to visit family members and converse with them in both Italian and French which she spoke fluently. Mimi developed strong life-long ties with her college, nursing school and church friends. She was forever the compassionate nurse.
She is survived by her husband Delbert, children Don (Monica), Bruce (LaVerne), four grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Mimi’s family is extremely grateful for the love from her family, friends and her special angel on earth Alice Lubell.