Howard Franklin Knipp Jr., the retired president of the John C. Knipp architectural millwork firm, died of dementia March 31 at Broadmead Retirement Community in Cockeysville. The former Gibson Island resident was 93.

Born in Baltimore, he was the son of Howard Franklin Knipp, an official of the family company, and Lubelle Sheppard Knipp, a homemaker.

A 1940 graduate of St. Paul's School, he was also a Boy Scout and attained the rank of Eagle Scout.

He attended Drexel University and joined the Navy during World War II. Assigned to an aircraft carrier, the USS Ranger, he sailed from Norfolk, Va., to Africa with a cargo of Army P-40 fighter planes. Mr. Knipp was later assigned to a base near Boston, where he worked as a “rigger” on a blimp, and also served as a cook. His unit worked to spot enemy submarines.

After his military service, he studied at Swarthmore College and played on its lacrosse team. He earned a bachelor's degree at the Johns Hopkins University.

He met his future wife, Eleanor “Bunny” Armistead, on a blind date. They were playing badminton.

Mr. Knipp joined John C. Knipp & Sons and worked at its Savannah, Ga., shipyard in the 1940s. He later returned to its Baltimore office.

He became president of Knipp & Co. Architectural Woodworking. Family members said that during the administration of President Harry S. Truman, the firm replaced architectural woodwork in the White House. Mr. Knipp preserved some of the removed timbers and woodwork from the executive mansion. Nearly 20 years ago, he offered the wood back to White House conservation officials. The firm also built a boardroom table for the National Geographic Society and did work at the House of Representatives and the Russian Embassy.

Mr. Knipp was a past chairman of the board of the Severn School. He also sailed, played tennis and did woodworking in his basement.

A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at Broadmead Retirement Community, 13801 York Road.

Survivors include his four sons, Howard Franklin Knipp III, Robert Morris Knipp and Carter Braxton Knipp, all of Baltimore, and Peter Armistead Knipp of Stratford, Conn.; a brother, Stephen S. Knipp of Baltimore; 10 grandchildren; and two step-grandchildren. His wife of nearly 60 years died in 2015.

—?Jacques Kelly