Paul Knapp, who played an important role in the development of Greater Des Moines for 50 years, died this morning at the age of 80.

Knapp was the vice president of Knapp Properties Inc., the company he and his brother, Bill, turned into a real estate powerhouse.

Paul Knapp was born in Detroit, Mich., on Dec. 19, 1927. The family moved to the small town of Allerton, Iowa, the next summer to live on a farm that had been owned by the Knapp family for many years.

Knapp served in the U.S. Navy from 1946 to 1948, and again during the Korean War. In between those stints, he attended the American Institute of Business in Des Moines and worked at a Massey-Ferguson farm equipment factory here.

In 1955, he joined his brother at the company Bill had started a couple of years earlier, Iowa Realty.

Knapp sold real estate for 15 years and was named general sales manager in 1970 and president of the company in 1977. He was responsible for developing the company’s franchise program, which now has 62 offices throughout the state. The Knapps eventually sold Iowa Realty to Central Life Assurance Co. (later AmerUs Group Co. and now Aviva USA). Paul Knapp’s son, Mike, is the president and CEO of Iowa Realty.

Knapp served as president of the Greater Des Moines Board of Realtors, was a board member of West Des Moines State Bank (now West Bank) and played a prominent role in bringing the now-defunct Iowa Aviation Expo to Central Iowa.

He worked with Variety – The Children’s Charity, Good Samaritan Urban Ministries, Tiny Tots Family Outreach, the Food Pantry and the Door of Faith Mission.

The Paul R. Knapp Animal Learning Center at the Iowa State Fairgrounds was dedicated to him by his brother Bill.

A visitation will be held at Dunn’s Funeral Home, 2121 Grand Ave., from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Saturday at Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, 4126 Ingersoll Ave.