Kenneth H. Koopman of Jupiter, FL and Inlet, NY passed away on November 5, 2014 at the age of 98. A memorial service to celebrate his life will be held on July 26, 2015 at 2 p.m. at Church of the Lakes in Inlet.
Since Ken’s retirement in 1981, he and his late wife, Jane, spent from May to October at their cabin on Limekiln Lake. Prior to his retirement they spent their family vacations at Limekiln Lake since 1949.
Kenneth H. Koopman was born September 8, 1916 in Westport, CT. His parents were Walter and Gertrude (Maddock) Koopman. He had three siblings: Walter Koopman (Elsie), Betty Grant (Jack) and Bryce Koopman, all who predeceased him.
Ken graduated from Staples High School in Westport, CT, where he was a member of the Cross Country and Track Teams. He graduated in 1938 from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY with a degree in Metallurgical Engineering. During the 1950’s he returned to RPI to earn his Master’s Degree and all the required doctoral course work for a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics.
Upon graduation from RPI, Ken went to work for Bethlehem Steel in Buffalo, NY. He met his future wife, Jane MacDonald, at a church social.
They were married June 16, 1939 at her parent’s home in Buffalo, NY.
During World War II, Ken worked on the Manhattan Project in Oak Ridge, TN. After World War II, Ken worked with Dr. Werner Von Braun on the first ballistic missiles and with Dr. Albert Einstein on the development of the hydrogen bomb.
In 1954, he went to work for General Electric’s Knolls Atomic Power Lab where he worked with Admiral Hyman Rickover in the development of the first nuclear–powered submarine, the USS Nautilus.
From 1958 to 1981, Ken served as the Director of the Welding Research Council in New York City.
The “love of his life,” Jane, died in 2005, just a week after the Koopmans had celebrated their 66th wedding anniversary and a month after Jane had celebrated her 90th birthday. Ken was Jane’s primary caregiver during her last two years, which allowed them to be together at home as she wished.
Ken is survived by his two children, Jani Koopman Flynn (Richard) of Lawrence, KS and Kenneth Jeffrey Koopman (Nora) of Tannersville, PA and six grandchildren.
Ken or GG loved the time he spent with his 10 great grandchildren and two step-great grandchildren.
Ken is also survived by his many nieces and nephews and their children who thought of him as their own uncle or grandfather.
Ken was an engaging conversationalist and a loving family man, who impacted those he met, and who touched the lives of everyone in his extended family. His presence on this earth will be dearly missed, but we thank God for providing Ken with good health and sharing him with us for 98 years.
