A funeral mass was held last week in Berkeley for John Paul (“JP”) Koehn, 29, who died Nov. 21 in a car accident linked to the windstorm of Nov. 21.
Koehn helped manage the family manufacturing firm, Edward Köehn Co. Inc., established in Berkeley in 1943.
Much loved by many, J.P. attended St. Mary’s High and graduated from Albany High in 2003. After graduation he studied wood working, furniture building, and worked in cabinet making for a time.
In 2005, he joined the family manufacturing firm in Berkeley as part of the third generation of Koehns. With his dad’s retirement a few years ago he assumed all sales duties and much of the management of the firm, helping it grow to its present size.
Perhaps the most important events in his life were the birth of his daughter in 2009 and the death of his older brother Michael when JP was 13. Like his folks and siblings, he never really got over Mike’s death.
In addition to his daughter, Isabelle Grace, JP is survived by his parents, Paul and Beatrice, sister Eileen Propp and her husband Rick, and brother Edward and his wife Jenny. JP is also survived by aunts, uncles and cousins way too numerous to mention by name, all of whom loved him and cherished the time they had been able to spend with this very special soul.
JP had a wide circle of friends and anyone who knew him counted him as a friend and valued his humor, compassion and genuine caring nature.
A funeral mass was held at St. Mary Magdalen Church in Berkeley on Wednesday Nov. 27. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Dorothy Day House and/or to Isabelle’s ScholarShare College Savings fund. Please contact mcfoster1962@gmail.com for information.
Feel free to share your memories of JP in the Comments below.
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