Current Services

Charles Kniffin
08-30-2025

Charles (Chip) Ernest Kniffin, 73, of Sioux Falls died at home on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025 after a short battle with cancer.

Chip was born on Long Island, N.Y. on May 1, 1952 to Howard and Barbara Kniffin. He attended boarding school in Connecticut and went to Eastern Connecticut State University where an endowment scholarship was established to recognize his achievements. 

He worked in various fields including wire extrusion, insurance, and as a stock broker. He also found joy working at the Mansfield Training School and Hospital in Connecticut. His professional life brought him from Connecticut to Italy, Arizona, and Wisconsin before moving to South Dakota in 2006.  

Once in South Dakota, he was able to pursue his passion of helping others and accepted a position with the paratransit division of Sioux Area Metro (SAM). He chose this because of his ability to connect with and his desire to provide for disabled citizens. He also worked at Hy-Vee in Sioux Falls in the floral and meat departments. 

An avid soft rock enthusiast, Chip was always up for a trivia question, and he typically nailed the answer. In August of 1969, Chip was one of the lucky ones to attend the Woodstock Music and Art Fair with 400,000 of his closest friends.

Aside from helping others, his passions ranged from photographing nature, to sports, to movies, to all things related to trains.

Chip is survived by his wife: Lynda, of 13 years; sons: Jeremy of Claremont, CA, Dan (Karen) of Marlborough, MA, Alex (Melissa Frisby) of Fairfield, CN; and daughter: Kasey Kniffin (Patrick Purcell) of Bristol, R.I.; brother: Peter of CA; sister: Barb of Long Island, N.Y.; and four grandchildren: Jackson, Katelyn, Victoria and Bennett. Chip was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Howard, and step-son, Royce Larson.

Extended family members include father-in-law and mother-in-law: Tom and Rosemary Savage of Brandon; brothers-in-law: Jeff Savage (Denise) inAtlanta, and Tom Savage (Nancy) in Sioux Falls.

There will be a memorial service in the spring of 2026 at Chip and Lynda’s home in Sioux Falls next to the impressive rock wall that Chip built

in their backyard and garden area. The wall runs adjacent to the old Illinois Central railroad that went through Sioux Falls for 100 years and is a stunning display of Chip’s hard work and pride for their home.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a railroad museum in your local area.