R. Stephen Knobloch, 78, of Rochester, passed away peacefully at home on November 8, 2017. He would have been 79 the next morning.

Steve was born November 9, 1938 in Peoria, the oldest of 4 sons of Robert W. and Gladys Moreland Knobloch. He attended college, two years studying chemistry and two years studying audio visual and electronics and held several jobs to help pay his way. He volunteered in Haiti for Brethren Service and served two years in a small hospital from 1963 – 1965. Steve served as a lab tech, learned Creole and felt sad about the terrible poverty which existed there then and now.

Upon his return to the states he attended Brethren College in Manchester, Indiana and earned a degree in Peace Studies. He went to work for the State of Illinois in educational television for a few years, then transferred into health education. This was a perfect fit for him and he went on to earn a Master’s of Public Health at the University of California at Berkeley. Steve worked for the State for 31 ½ years, retiring in 1999.

In 1983 Steve was invited to participate in a health education exchange tour with China. He accepted this great opportunity and took his wife Sara along; it was expensive but very well worth it. What an adventure! Steve saw and learned a great deal with a group of 40 others from all over the US. Steve was also fortunate to travel with Sara to Egypt and England.

He participated in Rochester community organizations; he was a good listener and a very kind and gentle man. He led by example and was a practitioner of meditation for many years. China influenced him to learn Tai Chi which he then taught to others for several years.

Steve loved kids and dogs and they loved him. He had a passion for reading and was a very frequent visitor to the Rochester Public Library, enjoying the reading groups and movies he attended there.

Steve married Sara Poling Coplea on October 8, 1977 at their newly built home and became the stepfather to 3 teenagers!!! He had no children of his own but was a loving, patient and wonderful influence on the whole family. He will be greatly missed forever.

Steve is survived by his wife Sara; daughter Wynne E. Coplea of Springfield; sons, L. Mark Coplea of Urbana and David L. (Kathy M.) Coplea of Springfield; one grandson Nicholas Ercegovich of Springfield; two great-grandchildren Zayne Lee and Zoey Lynn. He is also survived by three brothers, David N. (MiChon) of Washington state; Darrel G. (Media) of Texas and Stanley W. (Laurie) of Edwards, IL, along with several nieces, nephews and lots of cousins.

He is also survived by long-time supportive friends Ted and Jan Randall of Springfield and Arizona, and by his breakfast buddies Tom Mann and Karsten Rilying of Rochester.

Visitation will be from 12:30 pm until the time of the memorial service at 2:00 pm on Saturday, November 18, 2017 at Wilson Park Funeral Home in Rochester with Pat Meeter officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society or the Rochester Public Library.

The family wishes to acknowledge and thank all the loving and tender care Steve received from Memorial Home Health Care hospice nurses and workers.

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