Dwight Neil Koppes

Dwight Neil Koppes, 85, of Fountain Hills, AZ passed away peacefully on August 12, 2023 with family by his side. Neil was born in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania on April 26, 1938 to Deke and Verda Koppes. In 1954 he and his family moved to Scottsdale, AZ where he attended Scottsdale High School. Here, he met his future wife and love of his life, Judy Thunstedt. Neil attended Arizona State College (now ASU) in the late 50s and served in the Air Force Reserves from 1957 through 1963. Neil and Judy married in 1959 and raised three children. In the decades that followed, Neil founded and operated Koppes Fine Photography and The Color Lab, two of the leading commercial photography and printing businesses in the Phoenix area. He mentored numerous photographers who went on to great success of their own. After a move to northern Idaho in the early 90s, Neil and Judy opened PhotoCraft, a full-service photo lab that served photographers throughout northwest Idaho. Neil also applied his deep knowledge of photography and printing and built Art Print Editions, a successful giclee fine art printing business. After Neil and Judy returned to the Phoenix area in 2005, Neil continued to build his printing business, working for thousands of artists nationwide. Throughout his life, Neil was a devoted member of the Lutheran church. He was a semi-avid golfer and tennis player, and a die-hard fan of the Sun Devils, Suns, Diamondbacks, and Cardinals. Although we will miss Neil more than words can ever say, we are forever blessed by the gentle humor and wisdom he brought into our lives every day. Neil is survived by his three children (Kathy, Keith, and Kirby), his sister Lynn, his four grandchildren (Ryan, Kyle, Adrianna, and Aiden), two great-grandchildren (Ethan and Carson), and a large extended family. Judy passed away in April 2023. A joint interment ceremony will be held at 11 am on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, at Paradise Memorial Gardens, 9300 E. Shea Blvd, Scottsdale, AZ.