Michelle Marie Knowlton Haas, 69, went to be with our Lord on September 11, 2017 peacefully at home in the care of her loving family. She leaves behind her husband of 50 years, Anton Haas, daughter Kristin Haas Bauer, son Brett Haas, two grandchildren, sister Fran Dantuono-Morse, three brothers Michael, Jack, and Patrick Knowlton, nieces, nephews and many dear friends. A graduate of West Genesee High School (’66) and SUNY Empire State College (’01), she began her long career in social work at the local Head Start program in Jordan. This led to a job with the City of Syracuse as a program director for P.E.A.C.E. She then went to work as the community services coordinator, later as director of parent education programs including parent aid services at Catholic Charities, where she served for over 20 years.  Michelle’s passion was to serve the most vulnerable populations and she did that with all her strength. She loved her work and was presented the 2004 Charles Brady Award for Exemplary Service. There was no such thing as a 40 hour work week when people were in need. Michelle would always go above and beyond. She also believed in the work of United Way and often spoke on their behalf for fundraising. As much as she loved serving her community, she also loved to sing and had a beautiful voice. For years, she volunteered in the church choir and even spent a season singing with the Syracuse Chorale. In her spare time she loved to bake, read, and listen to music. At Michelle’s request, there was no funeral service. To honor her memory, she requested that donations be sent to one of her favorite charities, Vera House of Syracuse. She will be missed by all who loved her.

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