Don Plummer Knapp, age 83, a lifelong resident of Beaumont, Texas, passed away on November 10, 2012, in Rockport, Texas, where he was known to students as “Papa” Knapp. He will be greatly missed by members of his family, friends, former band students, and fellow musicians.

Don was born April 23, 1929, in Beaumont. He attended Dick Dowling Jr. High School and was a 1946 graduate of Beaumont High School where he was a proud member of the Royal Purple Band. Don was a trumpet player and was a private student of Everret James, the father of the famous trumpeter Harry James, Don’s idol, also from Beaumont. He loved playing the trumpet so much that he started his own Big Band “The Star Dusters” while at Beaumont High School.  Among the members of this band was J.P. Richards, later know as “The Big Bopper”. 

Upon high school graduation, Don attended Lamar Tech in Beaumont where he was in the band while studying engineering. His love of music emerged and he transferred to North Texas State University in Denton where he finished his Bachelor and Master’s degrees in Music. While attending NTSU he met the true love of his life, Jo Ann Clary of Killeen, and they were married for forty-nine years before her death in 1999. Don was a member of several organizations including “The Deckers” a campus dance band, and the Lead Trumpeter for the “One O’Clock Lab Band”. He was a member of the ‘Fessor Graham Society’, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Music Fraternity.

When he graduated from North Texas his first Band directing position was at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu. After one year of teaching he was drafted into the United States Army and served in the 5th Army Band at Fort Riley, Kansas. He then transferred to the 4th Army Band of Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio. After an honorable discharge, Don took a job at Vidor High School as the band director from 1955-1959. During this time period, he led “The Pastels”, a popular dance band in the Golden Triangle area. After leaving Vidor he was employed by the Beaumont ISD for ten years where he taught in several elementary schools as well as Dick Dowling and Stephen F. Austin Jr. High School, Band and Orchestra’s.

Don transferred to the South Park ISD where he taught for two years in the elementary Band program. He then moved to the new Memorial Middle School in 1968. He was the first band director of that new school, later to be named Vincent Middle School. He spent seventeen years as head director at Vincent while amassing numerous UIL First Division ratings and was selected as the Region 10 Honor Band on two occasions. Don was also the Jazz Band Director at Forest Park High School where his Jazz Bands won several awards for outstanding performances. He retired from public school teaching in 1987.

Don was also very active in the music community of Beaumont. Not only did he teach band students, he was a private brass instructor to many students, some of whom became All-State musicians and later became band directors in their own right. Don held the position of Principal Trumpet in the Beaumont Symphony for twenty-five seasons. He was also a member of the Orange Community Band, the Beaumont Community Band, the 4th Army Reunion Band, and the leader of the Don Knapp Orchestra. As the leader of his orchestra, the band played for social dances and private parties all over the Golden Triangle, the Lake Charles, Louisiana area, as well as Houston.  He also enjoyed playing in a jazz combo at the Beaumont Professional Men’s Club for many years.

Don loved to travel with his family whenever possible.  He and Jo Ann were charter members of the “Fun Travelers” travel trailer club where they served as President Couple of the club during several terms. He was later elected as Vice President of the National Mobile Scout Travel Trailer Club. Don also loved fishing and photography. He learned to fish with his grandfather on the Bolivar Peninsula. Residents of the area often referred to the gaff top-sail catfish as the “Plummer Trout”. Don loved to “catch fish” not just to go fishing.  He loved to speckled trout fish in the bays and at the jetties.  Don loved “sight fishing” for redfish in “the holes” in Galveston Bay. He particularly enjoyed fishing for rainbow and cut throat trout all over the Rockies. Don spent many summer vacations fishing the high lakes and streams around South Fork and Creed Colorado. He was also a very good amateur photographer and took countless pictures while on vacations. All of the pictures and adventures of these trips were shared with friends at home and around the campfire. Several of his favorite prints hung on the walls at home.

Don and Jo Ann traveled extensively in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and several tours to Europe. Their pride and joy was their motor home, where they spent a great deal of time traveling around the United States and visiting children and grandchildren.

Don was preceded in death by his mother, Vera Mae Plummer Knapp; and wife, Jo Ann Clary Knapp. 

He is survived by his children, Leland Plummer and Peggy Wathen Knapp of Rockport, Donna Jo Knapp Sanders of Fort Worth, and Clary Ann Knapp Rocchi of Austin; grandchildren, Kate Knapp, Evan Knapp, and Journee Rocchi; and thousands of former band and orchestra students.

A gathering of Mr. Knapp’s family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Tuesday, November 13, 2012, at Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont. His funeral service will be 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, November 14, 2012, at Broussard’s, with interment to follow at Magnolia Cemetery, Beaumont.