Kenneth Lee Koppelman

1942 - 2022

Kenneth Lee Koppelman
November 27, 1942 - December 1, 2022
Kenneth Lee Koppelman passed away peacefully at his home in Santa Rosa, CA on December 1, 2022. His wife Jayne De Lawter and several friends were with him during his final days. He died from complications of asbestos damage to his lungs, contracted during summer jobs in his youth.
Ken was born Kenneth Sumner in Portland, Oregon on November 27, 1942, the third son of a mother with tuberculosis. At birth, he was found to have TB, so spent his first two years in a local sanitarium. He attracted the attention of Edith Koppelman, a 'pink lady' caring for sick children there, and after a year, she and her husband David adopted Ken and his newly-born sister, Barbara. This fortuitous 'fork in the road' brought the siblings into a large caring family who embraced Ken throughout his life. Barbara died in 2018; Ken is survived by his niece, Alice Wiesner of Clackamas, OR and many loving cousins.
Teaching mathematics to high schoolers was Ken's passion. With a degree in mathematics education from Portland State University, he taught five years in an exemplary high school math program in Roseburg, OR. After earning a master's degree in mathematics from the University of Oregon, he chose Santa Rosa City Schools as his career center, teaching 15 years at Santa Rosa High and 15 years at Montgomery High.
In the early 1980's Ken pioneered the teaching of computer programing and became the first Apple representative in the North Bay. He set up Apple IIe computer labs in schools and helped design and teach in the first Microcomputer Certificate program for educators at Sonoma State University. Ken and Jayne met while serving on a multi-county technology committee; in 1985 they team-taught a new class at SSU on using computers to teach reading and writing.
A favorite project for Ken from 1988 to 2018 was working with math instructors from Sonoma County high schools and Santa Rosa Junior College to offer a one-day math event at Spring Lake Park. This Math Steeplechase engaged students in mixed-school teams to solve unique math problems. Ken was the only teacher to participate in all 30 of these annual math gatherings.
In 1991 Ken represented math teachers on the California Mathematics Framework committee to set standards and recommend practices for teaching K-12 math. Ken believed that all students could learn math, given the appropriate context and encouragement, and he strove to make his classroom a space for success. He was highly respected by his students and colleagues.
Besides mathematics, technology and teaching, Ken had other life-long interests. His photography evolved from darkrooms to digital displays; he enjoyed sharing images of wildlife and everyday scenes from his travels in all seven continents. He valued conservation efforts that promote coexistence of wildlife and cultural communities. Ken liked a wide range of music. He played saxophone in high school, then studied both folk and classical guitar. In 1991, he sang with the Winifred Baker Chorale at Carnegie Hall. He delighted in hearing early music and was generous in his support of Sonoma Bach and other regional musical organizations.
Throughout his life, Ken cultivated friendships, particularly with teaching colleagues, travel companions, and his personal trainer who came to his Sebastopol home for weekly sessions for over 25 years. During retirement, he and his golf buddies met weekly to play and to "solve the world's problems" at the 19th hole.
Ken and Jayne visited regularly with his Oregon relatives and Jayne's Indiana family. His favorite getaway with Jayne was their vacation home in Dillon Beach, the setting for their marriage in 1987 and a gathering place for many other happy occasions.
A celebration of Ken's life will be held in the chapel at Spring Lake Village on May 16 at 1pm. Because of limited parking, please live-stream the event and/or view the video later at https://youtube.com/live/WB49vL3m7YU?feature=share
In lieu of flowers, please consider gifts in Ken's name to:
Sonoma Bach (sonomabach.org)
Sonoma County Math Council (Eric Bohn, 1445 Gray Hawk Way, Santa Rosa, CA 95409)
Wildlife Conservation Network (wildnet.org)