Amy Roloff HEARTBREAK as Beloved Dad Passes at 97: “I’ll Miss Him Lots” - LPBW

Amy Roloff once urged people to take the moments they can with the people they love. Now, after the death of her father, Gordon Knight, those words carry a different weight. Gordon died on October 5th at the age of 97, and his family is sharing memories of the man they knew beyond Little People, Big World. Many viewers learned about his death weeks after it happened. In late October, Amy's youngest son, Jacob Roloff, posted photos of his grandfather and said he had hardly slowed down enough to process the loss. Amy replied that she would miss her dad too. Their words are a reminder that a public announcement can come long after a family's private goodbye has begun. Jacob did not describe Gordon through television moments or grand statements. He remembered being a child, looking forward to visits with his grandparents in Michigan. His grandfather could seem a little intimidating, Jacob said, but then he would smile and wink, and Jacob could feel the softness underneath. That small memory tells us something a camera might never have caught. A child can remember how someone made him feel long after he forgets what they said. For Jacob, part of knowing his grandfather was discovering the warmth behind that serious first impression. Then there was the cabin Gordon built with his wife, Patricia, in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. They had imagined it as a place for the two of them. Over time, their family grew, and the space around the cabin filled with relatives sleeping in tents, hammocks, cars, and cots. Jacob remembered that Gordon enjoyed seeing everyone there. He made walking sticks for the grandchildren, took them canoeing, and went fishing with Jacob. These are modest details, but they give the family's memories their shape. Gordon made things with his hands, made room for people, and spent time with them. The family's obituary describes a much longer life than viewers saw on screen. Gordon was born in Detroit in 1929. He served in the Korean War and later worked for 30 years as a civil and structural engineer with Ford Motor Company. He and Patricia also took part in historical reenactments, and their faith and church community were important parts of their lives. The obituary remembers his humor, generosity, curiosity, and ability to build and create. Jacob's stories bring some of those qualities into focus. A walking stick made for a grandchild is a small thing compared with a career as an engineer. Yet to the child carrying it, that may be the thing that lasts. For fans of Little People Big World, Gordon was Amy's father, someone who appeared from time to time in the Roloff family story. But he had a whole life in Michigan. Work, friends, a church community, and family memories that began decades before the television show. The public knew one part of him. His family is now offering a glimpse of the rest. One moment many viewers may remember came in August of 2021, when Amy married Chris Merrick. Gordon traveled from Michigan to Oregon at 92 and walked his daughter down the aisle. Amy later told People how grateful she was that he could be there and how much everyone enjoyed the toast he gave. At the time, it was a joyful wedding memory. Today, it is also one more moment Amy had with her dad. He made the journey, stood beside her, and celebrated a new chapter of her life. The meaning of that day has not changed, but the family now has another reason to hold it close. Amy had spoken before about valuing her visits with Gordon. In a Father's Day message in 2024, she wrote about cherishing the time she got with him and encouraged others to take those opportunities when they came. She knew those visits mattered then. Her response to Jacob shows how much they still matter now. Amy wrote that it had never felt often enough to bring all four of her children to see their grandparents over the years. She was glad Jacob had been able to visit Gordon with her as an adult, and she hoped each of her children would have a special memory of him. There is gratitude in those words, and the familiar wish that there could have been more time. Jacob shared that after a long gap, he had gone to see his grandfather each summer for the past four years. His son Mateo went, too. That gave Gordon time with a great-grandchild, while Jacob had a chance to know his grandfather again as an adult and as a father himself. Jacob also wished he had asked more questions, particularly about Gordon's time in the Korean War He said he enjoyed simply sitting with him on the deck. Both feelings can be true at once — thankfulness for the quiet hours they shared and the realization that there were stories he never got to hear. Jacob remembered Gordon as someone who stayed active and curious late in life. He recalled that only months earlier, his grandfather had still been cleaning his muzzleloaders and driving his Corvette. Those are Jacob's memories of him, not an explanation of his health or his death. They show the energy his grandson admired. Gordon died on October 5th. His obituary was published later that month, and Jacob's tribute brought the news to many followers after that. The dates matter, because a headline scene today can make a loss sound as though it happened today. For Gordon's family, this goodbye had already been unfolding for weeks. Some fans may also remember that a report of Gordon's death circulated in 2025. Amy corrected it at the time, saying she was visiting him in Michigan and that he was doing well. That earlier report was false. The loss the family is speaking about now is confirmed by Gordon's obituary and by Jacob and Amy's own words. Gordon's wife, Patricia, and their daughter, Cynthia, died before him. He is survived by his children, Catherine, Amy, and Roger, along with 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. A memorial service is planned for January in Michigan. Each of those family members will have a relationship with him that a new story can only begin to describe. That is why Jacob's choice of memories feels so meaningful. He could have spoken only about Gordon's age or the years he lived. Instead, he told people about a smile, a cabin, handmade walking sticks, and time spent on the water. Amy remembered the visits and the hope that her children would carry something special from them. It is possible to admire a long life without pretending it makes the loss easy. 97 years gave Gordon a remarkable amount of time with his family. It also gave them decades of habits, places and stories that will feel different without him there. The cabin is still a place. The memories attached to it belong to everyone who gathered there. Perhaps the most moving part of Jacob's tribute is that he did find his way back for those recent summers. He wishes he had asked more, but he went. Mateo had time with his great-grandfather. Jacob had time on the deck. Amy had the comfort of seeing her son visit the man who had raised her. We cannot know everything the family is feeling, and we don't need to. What they have chosen to share is enough to understand why Gordon mattered so deeply to them. A father who came to his daughter's wedding, a grandfather who welcomed the whole family to his cabin, and a great-grandfather whose story reached another generation. Amy's advice from years ago feels especially clear now. Take the visit when you can. Ask a question, even if you think there will be plenty of time to ask it later. And if all you do is sit together for a while, that time can become a memory worth keeping. Gordon Knight's family is saying goodbye to a man who lived for 97 years. They are remembering him in the smaller measures of a life. The people he welcomed, the things he made, and the summers they were able to spend together.