Betty Firth

In my last column, I wrote about the African philosophy of Ubuntu, which means “I am because we are” or “humanity toward others.” Archbishop Desmond Tutu described Ubuntu as “the essence of being human,” and a person with Ubuntu is generous, hospitable, friendly, caring, honest, and compassionate; they share what they have. I’ve been fortunate to know a few people who live and breathe the Ubuntu. One of those people was John Kopp, who died recently after a six-month battle with liver cancer. I was startled by the news, because I had not realized he was so sick. For reasons of his own, he chose to be quite private about his illness.
I’m choosing to honor him in this column because he was a shining example of what a human being can be. He had a number of friends who knew him better than I did and socialized with him more, but I knew he made the world a better place just by being in it. He helped me out once in a difficult situation, when he knew exactly how to help just by being present. I will miss him, as will many others.
We first met when John came into the Ely Folk School after renting a dry cabin on Everett Lake. He was drawn into the school by all the class flyers in the window. He introduced himself, and we had a long discussion about an idea he had been developing for nine years, “Writing with Your Child for Your Child.” For every family member’s birthday, his gift was an illustrated story about that person’s year. He and his daughters and grandchildren created stories together, which they illustrated. Inspired by these books and games they created, he was eager to share his ideas and skills with other families. He facilitated activities for parents and kids to share family stories, then write and illustrate them in the form of books and board games. With his generous attention to details, he painted rocks for game tokens, which participants could take home along with three copies of the books they created.
It didn’t take long for John to offer his time and talents to the folk school in many other ways, becoming an integral part of the folk school community. He joined the cleaning team (which I called the Dream Team Cleaning Machine), was a teacher and volunteer with other classes, and a regular at potlucks and events. As a devoted advocate of the Ely Public Library, he served with Friends of the Library for years, was a valued volunteer at library events, and enjoyed representing the Friends at the Ely Farmers Market.
One of John’s most significant relationships and contributions was his friendship and mentorship with Amandla Oesterreich, a young man with Down Syndrome. Amandla’s sister and guardian, Rosa, said that John had been the most positive part of Amandla’s life for the last three years. John could see Amandla’s desire for connection and purpose, and they joined the Dream Team cleaners for weekly cleaning and socializing with other volunteers. They also helped out at the Ely Area Food Shelf. Rosa said that John gave Amandla agency in his life, citing the following example: Instead of directing Amandla through every step of a series of tasks, he took photographs of Amandla doing those tasks and made a photographic instruction manual, which Amandla could refer to independently.
Rosa said, “John was grounded in the belief in young people’s intelligence, so they felt trusted and trusting. He could see their uniqueness and strengths and reflected that back to them to enable them to see that about themselves.”
John, his wife Vicki, who died in 2008, and their three daughters loved vacationing in Ely. He and Vicki had planned to retire to the area, and John carried out that plan on his own. Fenske Lake was a favorite spot, and John honored those memories volunteering as a water quality monitor on Fenske and counting loons on Everett Lake.
John was a regular participant in the Ely Writers Read writing critique group and the Northern Lakes Arts Association Call of the Wild poetry readings, sharing his reflections on his life and our culture through poetry and prose. He enjoyed fellowship and book discussions at the Presbyterian Church city-wide book club, and shared friendship and creative endeavors at the Ely Folk School Makers Mornings on Thursdays. Northern Grounds was one of his favorite hangouts, where he could often be found working on his writing and visiting with friends.
Photography was a favorite creative outlet for John, which he loved to do while exploring the woods and lakes, hiking, camping, and kayaking. He wanted to capture what he referred to as the sacred nature of place, whether the “place” was the wilderness or the folk school full of learning, laughter, and friendship nurtured by the reciprocal action of participation.
John’s sweetheart, Becca Manlove, said if there were one word that encompassed John’s nature, it was “kindness.” He spent four decades working in behavioral psychology, and his work reflected a steady belief that people deserve to be understood with patience, dignity, humor, and care. With his caring nature and calm presence, it was easy to imagine that he was very skilled in serving his clients.
Lucy Soderstrom, executive director of the folk school, said the word that came to her mind was “open.” She said he could talk to anyone and figure out a point of connection. He believed that parents and kids could have fun and learn together, and he loved creating space for young families to do that.
Becca said that openness was also reflected in John’s thinking regarding societal and cultural changes. He reflected that we can’t see around the corner, and maybe there’s something better at the end. An excerpt from one of his poems titled “Gathering Grace” expressed that:
A journey called only “this” surprised my world,
and I see a newness settling into me.”
I saw that he had a gift, which he bestowed on others, to be present in the truest sense of the word. He was curious and open about people, situations, and new experiences with a relaxed, calm presence and lack of judgement that is often rare in today’s over-busy culture. He may not have known the term “Ubuntu,” but he lived the values of sharing resources, time, and support, without expecting anything in return, which fosters harmony in society. He recognized that we humans are intrinsically linked with our actions affecting the entire community. We will miss him.
There will be a celebration of John’s life at the Ely Folk School on Tuesday, July 21, 4 to 7 p.m., beginning with shared stories and memories. And, of course, there will be a potluck supper.