Recordpub.com - Michael Kneale dies; was Kent principal

Michael Kneale’s firm belief in the power of positive thinking was tested repeatedly during the battle he waged with cancer for more than 20 years.
Told that he had a short time to live after his initial diagnosis, he opted for aggressive, experimental treatment that enabled him to beat the odds and opened the door for a new career for him as a motivational speaker.
The message he shared with audiences across the country was an upbeat one, mirroring his personality: Believe and achieve. Focus on the positive, play to your strengths and you’ll succeed.
Dr. Kneale, whose career in education began in Kent, where he served as Theodore Roosevelt High School principal in the early 1970s, died Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009 at his home in Hastings, Neb. He was 67.
Reared in the Brimfield area, he graduated from Kent State University High School in 1960 and earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees at KSU, worked as a carpenter, then entered the teaching field. He taught seventh grade at Franklin Elementary School, then moved to Roosevelt in 1968, where he taught social studies was dean of boys and assistant principal.
At 28, he became the youngest high school principal in Ohio when he assumed the helm at Roosevelt, a position he held from 1970 to 1974. His hands-on style, stressing one-on-one involvement with the student body, made him a popular administrator.
He left Kent to enter a two-year doctoral program in educational administration at Harvard University, where he earned his degree in 1977. He was named superintendent of schools in Holdrege, Neb., then assumed leadership of the Grand Island, Neb., school system.
He was superintendent of the Grand Island district from 1979 to 1985, when he left to become superintendent of schools in Colorado Springs, Colo., a position he held for a few years until being diagnosed with cancer.
Opting for a career change, he initiated several ventures focusing on enhancing personal and professional growth, including the Education Research and Development Institute, which he headed from 1985 to 2006.
As presidential of Kneale Enterprises, he traveled to nearly every state and Canadian province, delivering more than 150 keynote addresses on the importance of valuing people and the institutions that develop them.
Although he left the Kent area more than 30 years ago, he maintained ties with acquaintances from his high school days and his years with the Kent schools and also remained in contact with students he had taught or mentored.
Despite his health challenges, he visited Kent several times in recent years. He was thronged by well wishers when he hosted the Kent City Schools Hall of Fame ceremony in 2004 and returned two years later for his own induction into the hall. He also spoke at several Leadership Portage County events.
Dr. Kneale and his wife, Patricia (DiMauro) made their home in the Grand Island area. The Kneales established the Patty and Mike Kneale Education Scholarship Fund with the Grand Island Education Foundation to assist students furthering careers in education. He established the foundation in 1983, while heading the school district.
He was honored by the Grand Island Public Schools in 2008 when the district named its administration building in his honor. On hand for the dedication were his two children and six grandchildren.
A plaque on the building bears one of his quotes: “Do all you can with what you have, in the time you have, in the place where you are.”
In addition to his wife, whom he married Dec. 14, 1963, survivors include his son , Michael (Michelle) of; daughter, Kathleen (Dr. Curtis) Reimer of Hastings; six grandchildren; brother William of Spring Hill, Fla; and sisters, Patricia Kotti of North Augusta, S.C. and Mary Kneale of Kent. His parents, William and Pauline Kneale, died previously.
Visitation will be held from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 30 at Livingston-Sonderman Funeral Home in Grand Island. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1 at First Presbyterian Church in Grand Island. Inurnment will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Hastings. DeWitt Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 1247 N. Burlington Ave., Hastings, Neb. 68901 is in charge of arrangements.
Memorials may be made to the Patty and Mike Kneale Education Scholarship, Grand Island Education Foundation, 123 S. Webb Road, Grand Island, NE 68802.
Condolences can be left at www.dewittfuneral.com