When Tom Knitter was in his 20s he decided it might be fun to take up wood working. So, he joined a class near his home in Milwaukee.
The instructor asked the participants what they wanted to make. One answered, “A breadboard.” Another wanted to make a shelf. When Tom’s turn came he announced that he wanted to make a dining room hutch. The instructor was flabbergasted.
“You don’t have time to make a hutch in this class,” was his response. Little did he know Tom’s determination.
Tom grew up a middle-class kid in the Bucktown area of Chicago, played football and thought about being a priest. His father was an ornamental iron worker and his mother a cook and baker who entered her chocolate cake recipe in a contest and won a trip to Hawaii. Tom was offered an athletic-academic scholarship to the now-closed St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, IN where he played football and graduated with a degree in social studies and education.
He started looking for a job as a social studies/physical education teacher. A friend told him about an opening at Pio Nono Catholic High School in Milwaukee. Tom got the job and, although he didn’t know it then, a life-long career.
“I made $6,000 a year as a teacher,” he says, and the principal asked if he would be the assistant wrestling coach. “I don’t know anything about wrestling,” he protested. “You’ll learn,” the principal told him.” The coaching position also offered an additional $300 a year, a welcome bonus.
“I taught social studies in an all-boys school. It was during the ‘70s and among my topics was sexuality and drugs,” Tom says. One of his students, years later, would proudly and publicly announce that he had “Done sex and drugs with Mr. Knitter!”
Over five years, Tom learned wrestling under three different head coaches, eventually becoming a head coach for nine years and a referee for six more. During his coaching years at Pio Nono (later St. Thomas More High School) his teams won three WISAA state championships, and were regional champions and conference champions five times. He also coached 20 individual state champions. Three of Tom’s wrestlers won national college titles and one was an Olympic contender.
“They were fabulous athletes who worked hard and were willing to learn,” Tom says proudly. One wrestler, when asked to stretch his abilities said, “I can’t.” “The only thing you can’t do is say ‘I can’t,’” Tom told him sternly. The wrestler went on to overcome his doubts.
This past summer Tom was named to the St. Thomas More Athletic Hall of Fame and the school’s wrestling room was named in his honor. His wrestlers have designed a special ring with diamonds and rubies for each of his championships.
In 2001, Tom and Josie, a surgical nurse, decided they were tired of the Wisconsin winters. Their children, Aimee and Keven were grown. Tom had spent the last seven of his 33 years at St. Thomas More as president, a fund raising and development position. He took on a similar job in Bakersfield, Calif. Two years later they returned to Racine, Wisconsin. “The values were different in Bakersfield,” Tom says. “People regarded us as easterners and that was difficult for us.”
In Racine Tom joined St. Catherine’s High School as president for the next four years, taking on fund raising and development responsibilities.
Throughout his life Tom had pursued his woodworking hobby. The hutch he wanted to make in wood working class was completed. “Josie wanted one style top and another style for the bottom, and I didn’t really have a set of plans.” He made the rounds of furniture stores measuring and looking. “Just making sure it will fit in our place,” he told curious store clerks.
Over the years he made more pieces of fine furniture for Josie and others. “I finally made all of the furniture I wanted.” At a mineral and gem show he noted that there were no display boxes on sale for the rocks. “If I made wooden boxes for them, could I display and sell them here?” he asked the show organizers. A new hobby was born.
Tom now focuses on using exotic woods in creative ways to make a variety of artistic fitted boxes. “The grain of the wood talks to me,” he laughs. In the garage of his Pine Ridge home he has a complete woodworking shop where he transforms cocobolo wood from Central America, zebrawood from Africa and other woods into useful works of art. Some boxes are inlaid with veneers to produce scenes. He uses traditional intarsia techniques, fitting together pieces of different wood, bark and other materials to create a picture. Other boxes use the grain patterns of the wood for their beauty. His work will be on display at the Gem & Mineral Show at Seabreeze Recreation Center on Feb. 25.
Following several visits, Tom and Josie found their Village of Pine Ridge house on July 25, 2016 – their 46th wedding anniversary. Both now focus on having fun, enjoying their four grandchildren and staying healthy. Tom plays golf, takes Zumba classes, walks two to five miles a day and aims to do 100 pushups in one session by the end of 2018. “I’ve gotten into the 90’s before, but my usual is in the 60’s.”
Travel is also part of their lifestyle. So far, they’ve visited over 30 countries and are planning a European river cruise this summer. “It’s a first for us and we’re really looking forward to it.”
As a personal cause, Tom and Josie offer special medallions to people who are ill or having life difficulties. “It’s to let them know that they are in our thoughts and prayers,” Tom explains. Recipients can either give their medals back to Tom or pass them on to others. “It’s our way of helping to pay it forward.”
John W Prince is a writer and Villages resident. Learn more at www.GoMyStory.com.
