May Moffatt Knauf

May Moffatt Knauf passed away on Monday, July 21, 2025.  She was born in Liverpool, England to William and May Moffatt the 3rd of 6 children. 

In 1939 the family home and business were bombed and the family moved to Wales and lived on a generous farmers farm until the end of the war.  They returned to Liverpool and May’s father went into business with Brian Epstein’s father, Mays closest brush with the Beatles. 

War played an enormous role in May’s early life.  Her dad was awarded medals of valor in the first world war, her two elder siblings died of Spanish flu and of course, the second world war was a horror however, the Korean war brought her love. 

She met her future husband in 1953 in Liverpool where he was stationed with the Airforce.  She was set up in a foursome for a golf game and they fell in love.  James E. Knauf and May Moffatt married in England and subsequently they went on to have three children, Lynne Knauf, Lisa Knauf Jackson and Chirstopher J. Knauf.

May was a prolific and accomplished painter artist.  Teaching and learning her craft all over the world.  She won many awards and held one woman shows. 

After her husband passed in 1987 she embraced her independence, bought a home in Florida and eventually moved from Guilderland to Saratoga Springs and continued painting daily.

She is survived by her children and their partners, Lynne Knauf and Robert Greenbaum, Lisa Knauf Jackson and VanJackson and Christopher and Alison Knauf and her grandchildren, Danielle and Andrew Nowak VanJackson Jr., Avery Knauf, Ethan Knauf and Sam Knauf, as well as her great grandchildren, Natalie, Nowak and Elaria Nowak. 

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to “Humane World for Animals” (formerly Humane Society of US at www.humaneworld.org

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