Thomas Kniivila

On March 4, 2020, Thomas Kniivila, father of three and loving husband of over 50 years, passed away at home in Iron River, MI at the age of 78. Tom was born March 1, 1942, in Iron River. Wherever his career and life took him, Iron River was always home. His father and grandfather were miners and his paternal grandfather was a logger. He learned from this place to be a quiet, honest Finn with an Italian heart. He also learned a love of family, the outdoors, motorcycles, and cars. Tom had a rocky start with cars, getting his first ticket driving a Model-A when he was only 13 years old. But after graduating from Northern Michigan University he was a bit more responsible and turned his love of cars into a career, working first for Ford Motor Co. and then, after a short time with Continental Aviation, joining Volkswagen of America, where he stayed until he retired in 2004. As a member of Volkswagen Credit, Inc.’s remarketing team he was inducted into the National Auto Auction Association Hall of Fame in 2000. Even when not working Tom could most often be found around cars. In 2012 he competed in the Great Race in a 1964 Volvo 544, and he was working hard to restore a 1967 122S Volvo. After buying an Indian Scout as a teenager, Tom also developed a lifelong passion for motorcycles. He tried to pass his passion for motorcycling on to his wife Louisa, but, after dropping her own bike, she was happiest reading while riding in back as they traveled around the US. As much as Tom loved the road, he was continually drawn back to the forests, lakes, and rivers of the UP. An avid hunter, he never missed a season with friends at his camp. In 2003, Tom received Iron County’s Native Person of the Year Award. In 2007, Tom and Louisa returned to Iron River after they retired, making their cottage on Sunset Lake into their permanent home. Tom quickly took to being home again, becoming an active member in the local community. Tom was on the Iron Co. Museum Endowment Board, the DIISD Board of Education, and the Bates Township Planning Commission. He was also the President of the Bates Township Zoning Board and the Sunset Lake Association. Given all this activity, he loved ‘resting his eyes’ in the afternoon and reading a great book. Throughout this full life, family came first (although, as a friend once said, pets were a close second). Tom was always the quiet supporter behind a mountain of family and friends, cheering from off stage, always doing the small things that really mattered. He was fiercely loyal, a constant presence for those he held dear, making others feel safe and deeply loved. The evidence of the man and his love is the deep sorrow and pain that his family feels with his passing. Tom will be truly missed, but his spirit will be with us and ripple out on the waters of life forever. Tom was preceded in death by his father and mother Sulo and June (Perry) Kniivila. He is survived by his wife, Louisa (Hanna), his three children Elizabeth Kniivila, Jennifer Kniivila, and Be Nguyen, ten grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, in the name of Tom Kniivila (http://giftfunds.stjude.org/tomkniivila). A celebration of life will be held in Iron River in the summer. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Thomas Kniivila, please visit our flower store.