[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 195 (Wednesday, November 19, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1094]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF WILLIAM ``BILL'' KNAPP

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. ZACHARY NUNN

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, November 19, 2025

  Mr. NUNN of Iowa. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and 
legacy of William C. ``Bill'' Knapp, a proud veteran of the United 
States Navy, a devoted husband and father, and one of Iowa's most 
influential builders of opportunity and community.
  At the age of seventeen, Bill enlisted in the United States Navy 
during the final year of World War II. He deployed to the Pacific 
theater as a landing craft pilot during the Battle of Okinawa, where he 
carried Marines ashore under fire and returned with the wounded and 
fallen. That experience, faced at such a young age, instilled in him a 
lasting sense of duty and courage.
  After the war, Bill married his high school sweetheart, Irene, and 
began a life marked by hard work and vision. He moved to Des Moines in 
1948, attended AIB College of Business, and soon founded Iowa Realty. 
Under his leadership, the company expanded into commercial development 
and hospitality, becoming the largest real estate firm in the state and 
helping shape modern Iowa.
  Bill believed success came with a responsibility to serve others. He 
gave generously to strengthen Iowa's communities, supporting 
institutions such as Drake University and the Iowa State Fair, as well 
as numerous local efforts to expand opportunity and civic life. A proud 
veteran, he never forgot those who served, donating the land for the 
Iowa Veterans Cemetery and sponsoring a Central Iowa Honor Flight so 
that fellow veterans could visit the memorials built in their honor.
  Mr. Speaker, Bill Knapp's legacy is one of service, generosity, and 
enduring love for Iowa. He is survived by his wife Susan, his daughter 
Ginny, stepdaughters Sara and Anna, his grandchildren, and great-
grandchildren. He leaves behind a state shaped by his vision, 
strengthened by his leadership, and made better by his unwavering 
commitment to others.
  I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the life and service of 
William C. ``Bill'' Knapp, a patriot, a community leader, and a 
faithful servant of the people of Iowa.

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