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Johan Devold Koppernaes
December 22, 1930 - October 9, 2015
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<div itemprop="description">Johan Devold Koppernaes &ndash; passed away peacefully on October 9th, 2015 in <br />Bedford, N.S. <br />Born December 22, 1930 in Alesund, Norway he emigrated to North America <br />after completing his military service . Arriving by boat in Halifax, working as a deck <br />hand for fellow ex-pat Karl Karlson, Johan entered Dalhousie University, <br />studying Physics. Within weeks, he met second year pharmacy student, Barbara <br />Joan Longley. They were married in 1953. <br />Johan graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1955 from the Nova <br />Scotia Technical College. He and his new family moved to Boston where he <br />completed his Masters at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1956. <br />Their first child Karen, was born while he was completing his studies in Halifax. <br />His first position was with ALCAN in Arvida PQ, where his second child, Johan A., <br />was born. Deciding the corporate world was not for him, he returned to Norway to <br />help out with the family business. Interested in fiberglass, he <br />became involved in producing motorboats and fishing rods. Their third child Stein was born in Norway. Christian was born while <br />in Halifax where Johan had a position at Nova Scotia Technical College <br />teaching Thermo Dynamics. He founded Koppernaes Engineering Ltd. In 1965,when <br />Erik the youngest child, was born. The business grew quickly, settling in the <br />Koppernaes building in Bedford. In 1972 the family built their home at the end of <br />Shore Drive, known as &ldquo;The Point&rdquo;. <br />His area of practice was designing fish processing and cold storage plants all <br />over the world. Locally, he performed major design work at fish plants <br />and Farmers Dairy. In the mid-1980s, he revisited the idea of continuous <br />production of fiberglass and advanced composites by a technique called <br />&ldquo;pultrusion&rdquo;. He founded his start-up composites research and development <br />company (American Composite Technology) in Boston MA in order to be near <br />MIT where he established a working relationship with professors and <br />graduates as well as consulting professors from Stanford, Drexel and University <br />of Lowell. In order to bring the technology to Atlantic Canada he founded a sister <br />company GCT (General Composite Technology) with a working relationship to <br />TUNS. In the last few years he was involved a Halifax to Boston ferry project. <br />His greatest love was for family. He wanted nothing more than to see his family <br />happily launched. The &ldquo;camp&rdquo; in Hubbards, sailing on the C&amp;C 35, Rumble <br />Mumble Goose Egg, and sitting around the piano were golden times. He is <br />celebrated for his wonderful sense of humour, his flare for storytelling, and <br />support for his family. He was an accomplished artist working in any media <br />within reach. He could sculpt, paint and draw. His ability to free sketch <br />complex designs and ideas in seconds amazed <br />clients, employees and grandchildren alike. He was particularly fond of producing <br />comical works of caricature, especially of himself. <br />A natural athlete, he excelled at gymnastics, skating skiing, and sailing. The love <br />of sailing and boating was passed onto his family and for years &ldquo;Rumble <br />Mumble&rdquo; was a force to be reckoned with. <br />He is survived by his wife of 62 yrs, Barbara; his children, Karen, Johan (Michelle), Stein, <br />Christian (Robin) and Erik; his grandchildren, Maia von Maltzahn (Sam), Alex and Anna vonMaltzahn, Julia and Johan &ldquo;JoJo&rdquo; Koppernaes , Sean <br />Koppernaes, Leif, Finn and Drummond Koppernaes, Meghan and Adam <br />Henneberry and Hanna Koppernaes; sister Inger-Margretha Casperson; nieces <br />and nephews. <br />He was predeceased by his brother, Hans Peter; sister, Astrid Jarlsby; <br />Grandson, Michael Devold Koppernaes. Special thanks and <br />appreciation to Betty Campbell, who was a friend and executive assistant <br />throughout his life. Thanks to Ivany Place, Dr Carver and Dar Seward for <br />his care. Cremation has taken place. A celebration of life will take place at a later <br />date at BBYC. Visitation Saturday Oct 17, 1-3 pm at Atlantic Funeral Home,125 <br />Sackville Dr. for those who wish to pay their respects, In lieu of flowers, <br />charitable donations may be made to the Alzheimers Society or to Michaels&rsquo; <br />Legacy at gofundme.com. <br /></div>