obituary -- Severin H. Koop, MD

Funeral services will be at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, July 12, 2003 at St. Augustine's Catholic Church, St. Cloud, for Severin H. Koop, M.D., 73, who died peacefully on Tuesday, July 8, 2003, with his wife and children by his side. Entombment will be in Assumption Mausoleum, St. Cloud.

Arrangements are by the Williams Funeral Home, St. Cloud.

Friends may call from 4-8 p.m. on Friday, July 11, 2003, at the Williams Funeral Home, St. Cloud and also after 10:00 a.m. on Saturday morning at the church.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Gregor; son, Gene; daughter, Eileen Becker; son-in-law, Eddie Becker; granddaughter, Donna Thielen; sister, Phronie Behnen and brothers, Al, Cy, Bruno, Leonard, Ted and Hilar.

Memorials are preferred to Sts. Peter & Paul School or Franciscans Sisters in Little Falls.

Special thank you to the staff at the Paynesville Hospital, Koronis Manor, St. Cloud Hospital, ICU Respite Care Staff, Drs. Solum, Murphy, Nardi and Johnson.

Dr. Koop was born on February 12, 1930, in Minneapolis to Severin II and Helen B. (Sehl) Koop. He grew up in Richmond, the second of six children. After being "straightened out" by St. Thomas Academy, Dr. Koop went on to earn his medical degree from the University of Minnesota. He married Ruth Catherine Wenner on July 17, 1954 at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Richmond, MN and they spent their first two years in Germany while he served as a Captain in the Army Medical Corps.

Upon the family's return to the States, he went into general practice in St. Cloud. In 1962, Dr. Koop returned to the U of M to specialize in Otolaryngology. He founded the St. Cloud Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic in 1966, where he practiced until his retirement in 1993.

Dr. Koop's accomplishments include President of the Minnesota Medical Association, Delegate of the American Medical Association and Associate Clinical Professor at the U of M Medical School. He was also very involved in the community, dedicated to the church, and advocated education through his commitments to St. John's University, the College of St. Benedict and the College of St. Thomas.

Dr. Koop was also active in his personal life; he was a fisherman sharing ownership of Island G-2355 in Lake of the Woods, Ontario, and as a sailor who captained boats on Lake Superior and in the Caribbean. He also served in Peru as a volunteer for Project Hope and he was called to active duty in the Army Reserves during Desert Storm. He traveled extensively with his wife, Ruth, and many of their friends, he attended the theater regularly, and was an avid reader and lover of music.

Dr. Koop is survived by his wife, Ruth; children and grandchildren, Severin IV "Dutch" (Patti) Koop and Nathan, K. Daphnae Koop (Marc Clements), Dr. Martin (Jennifer) Koop and Aaron, Jordan and Hannah, Mary (Richard) Schwagel and Maggie and Rachel, Gretchen Detra and Hannah, Ruth (Victor) Boeckmann and Jason, Ryan, Jennifer and Michael; and siblings Helen "Trixie" Goffin, John (Jen) Koop, Mary (Bernard) Schaak, and Peggy (Robert) Wacloff.

Dr. Koop was preceded in death by his parents and one brother, Nicholas.

Memorials are preferred to the Severin H. Koop, M.D., Memorial Fund at the St. Cloud VA Medical Center c/o The Williams Funeral Home, 1900 - 8th Street North, St. Cloud, MN 56303.