Howard A. Kopp

Howard A. Kopp died peacefully at his New London, PA, home on February 14, 2022.  His "Dear" wife, his forever Valentine Kathy was by his side.

Born March 1, 1952, in Darby, PA, Howard was predeceased by his parents, Howard A. Kopp, Sr., and Madeline (nee Batchelor) Kopp.  He was also preceded in death by his younger brother, Glenn Norman "Timmy" Kopp.

Howard is survived by his loving wife of forty-seven years, Kathleen "Kathy" (nee Betzler) Kopp; his devoted son, Steven A. Kopp; and his precious granddaughter, Savanna A. Kopp.  Howard leaves behind a large, extended family and many valued friends.

Howard graduated in 1970 from Interboro High School.  He then began a lifetime of pursuing his passion of helping others via vocation and volunteering.  Whether it was to repair a stranded motorist's vehicle; outfit a customized ambulance; or rush to the aid of a sick or injured person, Howard used his head, heart, and hands to fix what was broken and improve things.

To honor both Howard's life of service and to thank the doctors and their staff, medical caregivers, and first responders who care for all, Howard's family requests his memory be honored by continuing his service to others.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:

The West Grove Ambulance Division, where Howard volunteered:

https://www.wgfc.org/news/1068/WGFC-Ambulance-Licensed-by-the-PA-Dept-of-Health

and to Medic-94, where he was on the founding Board that introduced advanced life support services to Southern Chester County:

ALS Division – Southern Chester County EMS – MEDIC 94

The West Grove Ambulance Division and Medic-94, as well as the Pennsylvania State Police, responded to Howard quickly, professionally, and compassionately in his last moments of need.

In lieu of funeral services, Howard's wish is that those who knew him continue a legacy of service to others in a way that is meaningful to them.

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Howard is memorialized at:

www.findagrave.com/memorial/236803310/howard-albert-kopp

Howard Albert Kopp (1952-2022) - Find a Grave Memorial

EULOGY

It is said no two people see the same rainbow.  Where you are standing, where your eyes view the curve of the arc, impacts what you see.  The saturation of color, the refraction of light, the density of the lines, are all determined according to where you are when you see an Irishman’s road to the promised pot of gold.

Reflecting on someone’s life is a lot like viewing a rainbow.  Where you’ve encountered a person on their life’s journey determines what you’re able to see.

Perhaps you sat in an elementary school classroom with Howard Albert Kopp, longing for recess as you learned to read and do math.

You may be one of the guys from the neighborhood who knew the same gathering spot Howard knew, where a little bit of smoking and a lot of camaraderie took place.

Maybe you saw him as a teenager when on one day he had stylish, long bangs and to-the-shirt-collar hair and the next day he had a buzz-cut courtesy of Police Chief Robert “Bob” Sparks.

Possibly you stood next to Howard when he was a nascent fire company volunteer, the kid who knew nothing about fighting fires and wanted to know everything about fighting fires.

You could have stood next to Howard in a stand of woods, when he got his first (and only) deer, drove it back to Chester County, then stocked the freezer with venison.

You may have donned hospital scrubs, attended training to become a paramedic, and passed the test along with Howard A. Kopp.

You may have felt the same rush of adrenaline as Howard as you worked side-by-side to perform CPR or bandage a wound or cut a car crash victim from a wreck, sounds of sirens screaming the urgency of your actions.

You may have greeted Howard in an ER as he wheeled in a gurney, passing a patient from his competent paramedic custody to your capable medical care.

You may have been one of the three or four people present in MacDade Mall where Howard met a girl named Kathy.  A beautiful girl who captured his heart and his love for a lifetime, for eternity.

You may have been a young boy who, standing in awe on Seventh Avenue in Folsom, wondered if you would someday be as cool as this Howard guy who drove really amazing cars to pick Kathy up for a date.

Perhaps you were a young girl who wondered if there might ever be a boy in your future whose eyes would light up when you walked into a room the way Howard’s did when Kathy was near, who would  confer gifts and attention the way he did.

You may have been the preschool boy who learned generosity of heart when Howard forfeited his Roadrunner birthday gift to you, because you really, really liked it.

Maybe you were a little girl on Ohio Avenue who was amazed that Santa’s handwriting looked just like Howard’s.

You may have danced at Kathy and Howard’s wedding, raised a glass to toast them and, perhaps, met one or the other of them for the first time on September 14, 1974, thus beginning a lifelong friendship.

Perchance, you were on Ways Run (aka Shady Lane) in the early days, as Howard, thrilled to be out in the snow,  shoveled and plowed and laughed at the antics of his much-loved dog, Fritz, as the German Sheperd galloped in waist-high drifts of snow.

You may have been around to witness the first of two of the brightest days on the rainbow of Howard’s life, when he met his son Steven.  And if you knew Howard from that day on, you doubtless witnessed the joy and pride he felt as he taught his boy how to swing a hammer, saw wood (often in tree form), dig a hole, earn Scout Badges, build, construct, work on a car engine, operate watercraft, learn, laugh, grow, and love.  You also doubtless heard a lot of well-placed bragging about Steve’s abilities and accomplishments.

And, if you were around on a particular Easter Sunday, you had a front-row seat to the other brightest day of Howard’s life, when Savanna bestowed the revered title of “Pop-Pop” on him.  And, even though most of the Savanna years were medically and physically the darkest time of Howard’s life, the years during which he saw the world through his beautiful granddaughter’s Smiling Irish Eyes were the brightest and most colorful years of Howard’s seven decades on God’s good earth.  Howard not only delighted in watching his cherished granddaughter grow and learn and embrace the world around her,  he applauded Steven’s transformation from child to parent, recognizing his son as the best of fathers, the best of men.

And if you are one of the many who was there to greet Howard  –  Brother, Mother, Father, Uncle, Friend, Mentor, Buddy, Ancestor  –  when he left this world on a snow-covered Valentine’s morning and arrived at Eternity, you know he wasn’t afraid to exit this world and go to the next.   Through the love Howard A. Kopp experienced with Kathy, Steven, Savanna, and so many others, he had already glimpsed a little bit of Heaven and he knew everything was going to be just fine.