John L Koptyra

John L. Koptyra – Mystery man and maybe the most understood man, even at our last few moments together before he was wheeled into the operating room he was trying to explain one more time to me that he always loved me. He felt that maybe it was too much from afar due to him spending half of his boyhood growing up in an orphanage in Detroit, Michigan after his mother died when he was nine. After he left the orphanage Dad worked at General Motors plant and married my mother Arline Diskin and they had a daughter Patricia in 1955. Three years later I came along and in 1961 we moved to southern California to start a new life. Dad worked odd jobs and also went to school to learn quality control inspection for a carrier in the Aerospace field. In 1967 he worked for Northrop in California and was an inspector on the moon surveyor project where he was sent to Cape Canaveral Florida for the launch to the moon before the man walk in 1969. During his stay at Northrop he was awarded the Snoopy Award by NASA for outstanding service to the space program. For the next four years he worked with hundreds of boys including myself as a coach for little league baseball and Pop Warner football where he made a positive contribution to the community and our lives. He also taught me and my sister to play music on various instruments. He donated to the Wounded Warrior Fund, the leukemia fund and more. This was his little secret. He was always helping me build a fence or remodel a house. He was just always there with a helping hand. In 1997 Dad retired from Lockheed Martin after working on the space shuttle program for many years which he was very proud of. He then spent his retirement years here on the Gulf Coast. Dad loved the beach as well as the mountains. But most of all he loved his country. As I write this tribute there is an American flag still flying in the front yard of his home. He lived life. He loved his family. “Dad I always knew you had my back.” Some of his last words to me were “Son you are quite the man. Same to you Dad!” He was not always the most patient man, but none of us are perfect. One of his most favorite songs and phrase was “I did it my way”. We will all miss you, but never forget you. With love and respect always, your son, Mike. John died Friday, January 30, 2015 in Gulfport and was preceded in death by his parents, John James Koptyra and Patricia Large Koptyra. He is survived by his children, Patricia S. Hodges, Michael J. Koptyra and his wife, Olga; grandchildren, Amanda Hodges, Nicholas Hodges, Kristin Koptyra, John Koptyra, and Mariya Peck. Visitation will be held Friday, February 6, 2015 from 9:45 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. at Bradford-O’Keefe Funeral Home, 15th Street, Gulfport. The graveside will follow at 11:00 a.m. at Gardens of Memory Memorial Park in Bay St. Louis. View and sign register book at www.bradfordokeefe.com