Ronald Lee Kniola, 79, of Porter, IN, passed away on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, after a brief illness.
Ron was born on April 3, 1946, in Chesterton, IN to Rosemary and Joseph Kniola. He was a proud alumnus of Chesterton High School Class of 1964, was an ROTC cadet and attended Butler and Purdue Universities.
Ron had a lifelong love of sports and was a terrific athlete. He played baseball, basketball, football, and ran cross-country at CHS and played football and baseball at Butler. He also loved golf, and when he was no longer playing, he watched it on TV. He was an avid tennis player, and was a coach at Marquette High School for 7 years and a regular player at the Northwest Athletic Club. His love for tennis evolved into a passion for pickleball. He made incredible friendships on the pickleball court. His family is so happy that he was able to spend the last days before his illness with pickleball friends, playing the sport he loved.
Ron was an active member of the Michigan City community. Many know him from Kniola’s Meating Place in Michigan City and Chesterton, which he owned and ran with his father. He served as the President of the Michigan City Port Authority Board and was President of the Michigan City Town Council. He also had an exciting run for the Mayor of Michigan City in 1998.
He spent his spare time on the shores of Lake Michigan. When he could no longer kayak, summer evenings found him sitting on Porter Beach taking pictures of the sunset.
After retirement, when he wasn’t playing pickleball or at the beach, he was a substitute teacher at Chesterton High School. Ron loved this work, and it brought him great fulfillment to be a part of the CHS community and interact with the students. Substituting for his grandkids’ classes brought him great joy – his last day of teaching he subbed in his youngest grandson’s class.
He was incredibly proud of his children and grandchildren, and loved them dearly.
Ron is survived by his beloved children, Lisa (Michael) Joesten and Jason (Cari) Kniola; his grandchildren David, Madeline, and Abigail Joesten and Nyima and Kai Kniola; and his sisters, Mary Lou Wykoff and Nancy Wagner. He was preceded in death by his parents Joseph and Rosemary Kniola, his brothers Robert Kniola and Joseph Kniola, Jr., and his sisters Joan Ferguson and Carol Kniola.
A Celebration of Life will be held April 4th at 1:30pm at Hawthorne Park Community Center in Porter.
Ronald Lee Kniola, 79, of Porter, IN, passed away on Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, after a brief illness. Ron was born on April 3, 1946, in Chesterton, IN to Rosemary and Joseph Kniola. He was a proud alumnus of Chesterton High School Class of 1964, was an ROTC cadet and attended Butler and Purdue Universities.Continue Reading