July 29, 1966 – March 5, 2012
John passed away peacefully at home March 5 in the company of family and friends. He is survived by his father, Dennis; brothers Paul (Andrea) and David (Rita); sister Pat (Mark); along with nephews Aidan, Alex and Alexei; nieces Elisabeth, Cate and Sophia; extended family and countless friends. He was pre-deceased by his mother in 1996.
John grew up in Williams Lake, B.C., eldest of four children of Dennis and Maureen Coppard, and joined the Canadian Forces in July 1984, at the age of 18. He attended the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario, graduating in 1988 with a BA in English. He later served as a Maritime Surface Officer with the Canadian Navy aboard various ships in Canada’s Pacific Fleet, including HMCS Provider, HMCS Huron and HMCS Vancouver, before moving to the Forces’ Public Affairs branch. John loved the military for its camaraderie and adventure, but in public affairs he found his niche. He began at CFB Comox, writing news releases about search-and-rescue efforts and spending his off time skiing, sailing and kayaking. Later, he became Deputy Director of Naval Communications in Ottawa with Chief of Maritime Staff Public Affairs, and was deployed on operations in the Balkans as a public information officer with the NATO stabilization force in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
In 2006, John was posted as a strategic communications advisor to the government of Afghanistan in Kabul, as part of Canada’s Strategic Advisory Team. John immediately took to Afghanistan, the country and the people. He loved his work and life in Kabul, from advising ministers to touring the countryside and meeting new friends from all over the world. Once he’d tasted the experience, he wanted to go back. So in 2008, John, now a naval commander, retired from the Canadian Forces and accepted a civilian posting as spokesman for the senior civilian representative for NATO in Afghanistan. In the summer of 2009, however, shortly after having signed on to serve a second term in Afghanistan, he learned he was suffering from a brain tumour and was evacuated to Brussels for surgery. While he was in Brussels, his living unit back in Kabul was badly damaged in an early-morning bombing of NATO headquarters. After the surgery, John returned to Victoria to rest, recover and get treatment, but though he was often tired from chemotherapy, he continued to lead an active life. He worked on behalf of the Conservative candidate in Victoria in the federal election campaign and was active in the Catholic church, devoting his time and energy to pro-life and anti-euthanasia campaigns and serving with the Knights of Columbus, while never neglecting his single malt scotch or the comfy chairs at the Union Club.
His friends and family remember him for his ability to charm people of all walks of life, his sense of humour, intelligence, wit, kindness, positive spirit and, above all, his zest for life. Wherever the action was, he wanted to be part of it. As one of his many friends wrote, “The world is less fun with his departure from it.”
Prayers will be offered Friday, March 16, at 7:00 pm at McCall Brothers Floral Chapel at Johnson and Vancouver streets. A funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Andrews Cathedral on Saturday, March 17 at 2:00 pm, with a reception to follow at the Union Club. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Victoria Hospice Foundation (www.victoriahospice.org), in thanks for the wonderful care provided by the palliative team.
34 Responses
I was terribly saddened to read of John’s passing in Starshell just this passed week. It has been some fifteen years since I last saw John as he was driving through Thunder Bay, and much longer than that since we both graduated from the Royal Military College.
For me, I will remember John as the type of guy you could count on to remain loyal, be a good friend, and offer a kind word. When he spoke, he meant what he said and it was almost always kind, considerate of others, and laced with his fine sense of humour.
Like myself, John could never be confused as one of the “cool” kids, but he had that rare quality that made the “cool” kids want to be around him. When a friend passes, one eventually recalls both the good and the bad in a man. For John, I can honestly say I can’t recall a single negative thing about him.
I will miss the lost opportunity to see him again and to catch up. He has lived an exciting and purposeful life, packing more into his time with us than many do in a lifetime.
God Bless his family and friends, for if I can feel his loss over such a distance and after so long a period of time since we last hoisted a beer, then you all must be missing him terribly. I hate scotch, but in his memory I will pour myself one this evening…
Take care, Fair Winds and Following Seas, John…
Richard Neumann, CD, Lt(N) (Ret’d)
RMC Class of ’88
Thunder Bay, ON
Our thought s and prayers for ur family always , johns celebration of his life was so beautiful
To Dennis, Pat, Paul and David. My condolences to you. I am so sorry to learn of Johns passing. It was wonderful to have seen him 2 years ago at Dad’s service. I will remember all the times we spent together as children when our families visited each other. RIP John.
My thoughts are with John’s family and friends today. I had the pleasure of working with John during both of his tours in Afghanistan. His infectious enthusiasm and tremendous energy were an inspiration. Safe travels, John. I’ll raise a glass in your honor.
John was always a pleasure to associate with, both for social fun times as well as for volunteer/community projects all with wonderful conversation exchanges. He added to all who knew him.
Blessings and prayers for his continued adventures and for his family.
My greatest condolences to the family. I was a friend from Kabul and loved John very much. He brought joy and laughter to my life, and he had such a naughty sense of humor. I remember him handsome and grinning in his dinner jacket at the ball, or sitting in the NATO SCR garden having drinks, or at the pool at the American embassy with prosecco making us fall about with laughter with his jokes. He lived lightly but touched us all deeply. My dearest John, we will miss you always.
Our deepest sympathies to John’s family. We had the privilege to meet John in Switzerland as it was John’s job to assess our communication training for PfP-Nations. During that short time, John became good friends with the entire training crew. All of us coaches enjoyed his presence. John, will keep you alive in our minds.
Beat R. Kraettli, Tobias Aebi & Team, Switzerland
John was an extraordinary shipmate and friend. I will miss our adventures and miss-adventures. We started out as friends over 20 years ago as junior Sub-Lieutenants and sailed across the Pacific Ocean together – our voyage was long but our life voyage and friendship was too short. We created salty dips (stories) together and delightfully embellished those same stories over the years. Literary wit and aplomb combined with passion and care was John’s naval sword. How well he wielded it over the years. I will miss John’s greetings…no one else has repeated my name three times with such a warm welcoming smile. As only a navy brother could understand, the nautical miles between John and I or the time spent in passage between meetings, never dampened our freindship. Fair winds and following seas John. To the Coppard family, your son was my friend and a true Canadian patriot; I offer my deepest sympathy for the loss of your son and brother. Ready aye ready.
I have vivid memories of John as a skinny seven year old at Poplar Glade Elementary in Williams Lake when I was his grade two teacher. Not only was he a bright and diligent student, but also thoughtful and mannerly with a warm personality — a joy to have in the classroom. Even now, I can still picture his smile. From all the comments above by people who knew John as an adult, it’s evident John got better with age! So sorry to hear John left this world too early.
Sincere condolences to the Coppard family.
On behalf of the Coppard family, thank you for your kind words. Even in the last days, John’s wit was as sharp as ever, and his energy perked up whenever he was surrounded by lively conversation.
The reception will be a “light Irish Wake”, with colorful pictures of his global adventures, a traditional irish band, and an opportunity to have a laugh. We hope you can join us.