Brian W. Knickrehm passed away sleeping peacefully at his home in Asheville, NC, on August 13, 2025. Born in Joliet, he was the son of Wendell and Jeanne Knickrehm, who along with brother, Mark, spent an idyllic youth in Peotone.
He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, followed by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Then he settled down in North Carolina, ultimately in his beloved Blue Ridge, where his son, Alex, was born and raised.
Brian spent much of his career as a chef, first at the Exchange Restaurant in Greensboro, NC, then at Biltmore Estate, and finally at Red Stag Grill in Asheville. His unabashed passion for all-things-food, local farmers and artisans, craft brewing, and our beautiful Appalachian home earned him many like-minded friends in the community. Brian was a talented chef, a loving dad, an avid fly fisher and outdoorsman, with a wicked sense of humor. He was a life-long learner, who dove into new interests with zeal. His buddy Andy called him a Renaissance man, and that sounds about right.
Brian is survived by his mother and stepfather, Jeanne and Milton Erickson; his brother and sister-in-law, Mark and Katie Knickrehm; his son Alex Knickrehm; Alex’s mother, Dia Baker; his mother-in-law, Sheryl Baker; and a delightful multitude of cousins, nieces, nephews, and in-laws.
A special thanks to the Grand Bohemian Hotel for honoring Brian’s many years of service and to warm regards from the Asheville culinary community. A Remembrance Celebration is scheduled for September 6, at Juliet’s Tavern, Joliet. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to the Manna Foodbank.