Koop Bosscha, resident of Grande Prairie, AB, passed away Wednesday, August 18, 2021, having celebrated his 90th birthday in November 2020.

Koop was born November 26, 1930, in Terwispel Friesland, the Netherlands to the late Jan and Afke Bosscha (nee Broekstra).

Koop spent his formative years living on the family dairy farm in Etchen, Friesland, the eldest of six children. He started milking cows at the age of seven. Koop spoke of how when the winters were cold enough and the canals froze, he, his father and brothers would go distant skating, completing the Sixteen Village tour. In 1940, with the onset of WWII, the Netherlands became occupied by the Germans and life on the farm changed drastically with the family taking the risk of hiding young men and women in the barn behind the hay stalks during raids. Despite this, in 1944 Koop started a 4-year program at the School of Agriculture with the hope of becoming a veterinarian. This was interrupted in June 1947 by the family’s decision to immigrate to Canada hoping for better opportunities. It was a long journey, having to travel by bus to Rotterdam, then onto one of the first ships to carry Dutch immigrants, the S.S. Waterman, to Montreal, QB, then by train to Calgary, AB, and finally on to Edmonton, AB. The family settled on a dairy farm north of Edmonton. Koop’s first job in Canada was on a ranch near Cooking Lake, AB, where he quickly discovered he could never be a cowboy as ‘horseback riding was not for me’. In 1949, the family moved to Edmonton and Koop worked at Woodland Dairy while taking mechanic/welding courses at night, completing his 1st class welding ticket in 1963. After finishing his apprenticeship, Koop went to work for Construction Equipment that later became CONECO Equipment. He worked there for 24 years as a welder, heavy duty mechanic, shop foreman and in 1973, accepting the position of Branch Manager in Grande Prairie.

In 1951 he met his future bride and lifelong partner, Agnes May, at Pigeon Lake, AB, where he and his friend were building a Criss Craft boat. When Agnes and Koop decided to get married in June of 1956, Koop sold the boat so they could buy a lot in Edmonton to build their first house on. They went on to raise 4 daughters and a son.

In 1979, Koop and Agnes started Kaar Landscaping and ran the business for the next 20 years. Koop took great pride in his landscaping work and developed his own blend of grass seeds that was sold and used on many projects in the Grande Prairie area. He completed a Landscape Gardener trade certificate in 1985. Koop helped develop the landscape program at Fairview College and was involved in GP Loggers Sports and Landscape Alberta from the late 70’s to the early 90’s.

Koop was an independent, intelligent, methodical man who would thoroughly think out a job before attempting it. He had the ability to see how something should work and what needed to be done to fix a problem before most people could even figure out what the problem was. During his recent hospital stay, while adjusting the bed height, he commented that someone needed to check its cylinder pressure as the bed wasn’t staying in place properly.

Koop was a lifelong learner and after retirement he became a self-titled computer geek. His level of knowledge often surprised even the professionals. Koop also had a keen interest in home movie making and editing. It began in the 1960’s with an 8mm camera with a large spotlight that would literally blind whomever he was filming, up to the small handheld camcorder of the 2000’s. For many years he and Agnes would put together a much anticipated ‘Family Times, Happy Times’ video that would arrive inside the Christmas packages.

Koop had a deep interest and knowledge of plants and birds. Many hours were spent working in his yard, and each season brought something new. We knew spring had arrived when the pussy willows were cut and brought into the house and the apple trees started to bloom. Summer was all about the flowers and vegetable patch. Fall was when the crab apples were harvested, and apple sauce made, and in winter the garage filled with plants, mostly geraniums, being kept safe until next spring. Koop would often sit at the kitchen window on a warm day, watching the birds play in the bird bath, naming each bird type. Then have a good chuckle when ‘Charlie’ the Crow would show up, scare the other birds away and proceed to happily and completely empty the birdbath.

In 1942, Koop had a bout of scarlet fever that forced him to spend several weeks at home with his mother. During that time, he learned to knit and cook. He discovered he really enjoyed cooking. He made the best fried potatoes and sausages. With his keen sense of smell, he could always tell when they were perfectly done.

Koop took great pride in the achievements and antics of his grand and great-grandchildren.

Koop is deeply loved and will be missed by his 5 children: Pat (Dale) Bort, Janet (Don) Pike, Mary-Anne (Boyd) Timler, Robert Bosscha, and Nancy Bosscha (Colin Bigam); grandchildren: Laura (Dan) Nauta, Eric (Sojeong) Bort, Sean (Sharla) Bort, Tyrone (Char) Pike, Barret (Joelle) Pike, Amanda (Scott) Timler, Samantha (Mark) Haliburton, Jaima Timler (Cameron Price), and Joshua Bigam; great-grandchildren: Sandra, Carol, Graham and Diane Nauta, Hayden and Kinley Pike, Ellie, Claire and Penny Bort, and Will and Owen Haliburton; brother Red (Peggy) Bosscha; sisters Jenny Postma and Alberta (Bill) Blokland; as well as sister in-law Leona (Vil) Salo.

Koop was predeceased by his loving wife of 64 years, Agnes Bosscha in May 2020; brothers Wiebe and Andy; as well as brother in-law Chris Postma.

The family would like to thank Dr. Duta and the staff of 3 North at Grande Prairie Regional Hospital for the care and concern shown Koop in the last weeks of his life. A private family burial service will be held in Edmonton, AB. “Those we love don’t go away, They walk beside us every day”. (Author Unknown)