Ronald Roy Knipling of Bethesda, MD passed away on July 5, 2023 from complications of Glucagonoma, a rare neuroendocrine cancer. He was 76 years old. Born in Arlington, VA on February 20, 1947, Ron was the youngest of five siblings. His parents were Edward F. Knipling, a renowned entomologist, and Phoebe H. Knipling, the founder of the Arlington Schools’ Outdoor Laboratory for nature education and appreciation. Ron took pride in the many accomplishments of his family.
Ron’s wife Leslie was the love of his life. They met at the University of Maryland and eloped on August 9, 1974, the same day that Richard Nixon resigned and left the White House. In nearly 50 years together they were mutually supportive and shared attitudes about politics, relationships, and philosophy of life. Travel was among their shared passions. Ron and Leslie adopted daughter Leah in 1982 and son Jesse one year later. Ron loved leading the kids on adventures such as hiking, canoeing, and exploring parks and playgrounds. As a disciplinarian he was the “good cop,” maybe too good! More recently Ron led grandsons Trenten and Kai to many of the same places, and to other new discoveries. He also volunteered in schools, tutoring math and teaching kids how to build birdhouses.
Ron loved the outdoors. Whitewater canoeing was his favorite sport, and he became an expert on regional streams. Members of Blue Ridge Voyageurs were among his closest friends. He also loved hiking and blazing trails. In the 1990s he had explored Strickler Knob, a spectacular but isolated promontory in the Massanutten mountains. Getting to Strickler Knob had been a wicked bushwhack, but Ron worked over many months to mark and clear a trail. It is now among the most popular hiking destinations in the
region.
“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
After receiving a Ph.D. in Physiological Psychology from the University of Maryland in 1975, Ron’s career took unexpected turns. He transitioned to applied psychology, training development, and finally to traffic safety research with a focus on large truck safety. Employers included the U.S. Department of Transportation, Virginia Tech, and his own consulting company. He was a self-driven and prolific writer. His more than 300 safety-related publications and presentations addressed topics such as driver risk, crash causation, and driver drowsiness. Ron wrote a 2009 textbook entitled Safety for the Long Haul; Large Truck Crash Risk, Causation, & Prevention. In recognition, he was awarded the International Road Transport Union (IRU) Order of Merit. He also became a crusader for validity in safety research, criticizing methods that were high-tech but lacked scientific grounding.
Ron is survived by his wife Leslie Knipling (nee Granick), son Jesse Knipling, daughter Leah Ruffner, son-in-law Evan Ruffner, and grandsons Trenten and Kai Ruffner. His surviving siblings include Edwina K. Lake, Anita K. Scott, Edward B. Knipling, and Gary D. Knipling. Survivors also include many beloved in-laws, nieces, nephews, and friends.
Glucagonoma is a rare cancer, newly afflicting fewer than 50 Americans each year. Symptoms from the disease, then undiagnosed, nearly killed Ron in 2004. Yet after diagnosis and surgery he survived, indeed thrived, for nearly 20 more years with a low-grade, treatable metastatic cancer. He attributed these years of active, quality life to innovative treatments, healthful behaviors, positive spirit, and family support.
Like many others, Ron became increasingly concerned in recent years about our earth’s welfare, and in particular about climate change. His family requests that, in lieu of flowers, contributions of money and time be made to organizations seeking to sustain natural life on our planet. A Celebration of Life for Ron will be held in September.