Niilo Koponen 1928-2013

(an extended obituary is posted here)
Niilo Koponen
Niilo Emil Koponen, 85, died on December 3, 2013, in Fairbanks of natural causes.

Niilo was known and respected across Alaska as a homesteader, educator, community and political activist including 10 years in the Alaska State legislature.

Born in 1928, Niilo grew up in a Finnish cooperative apartment building in the Bronx, New York, worked as an office machine repairman and in a shipyard with his father. He volunteered at a Quaker work camp in Finland helping WWII refugees which, after graduation from Wilberforce University inspired him to drive with his wife, Joan, to the “Last Frontier”, arriving in Fairbanks in March 1952.

Niilo worked as an electrician’s helper for the F.E. Company, electrician for the University of Alaska, surveyor, independent contractor with his dozer, and homesteader. He was shop steward for the Electrical Workers’ union at the F.E. Company and helped organize the surveyors’ union and the NEA in Alaska. Earning a teaching degree at the University of Alaska, he taught 4th and 5th grades.

In 1966, Niilo earned a doctorate in education from Harvard. Returning home, he was a principal, grants administrator, and consultant for projects such as the development of village high schools, and Director for Head Start.

Very active in grassroots politics, Niilo helped organize or serve on volunteer and service organizations: Friends Meeting, Credit Union, Fire & Rescue, Fair Board, Humanities Forum, Alaska Civil Liberties Union, Democrats, Crisis Line, and others.

Niilo’s reading speed, range and recall were phenomenal. This enormous knowledge base served the people well when Niilo represented his district in the Alaska Legislature from 1983-1992.

After Joan had a serious accident in 1991, Niilo retired from the Legislature, but continued to work on human and civil rights, education, community, and peace until his health declined.

He is survived by his wife Joan; their children Karjala of Vermont, Sanni of Ontario, Canada; Chena Newman and husband Gary, Heather, and Alex of Fairbanks; grandchildren Katya, Saari, Wendy, Colin, Matti, Max, Ben, and Dane, step grandsons Peter and Danny, and great-grandchild Callie. [update 2016] Since Niilo’s death, Max has married Sophia Snyder and in 2016 had a daughter Theodora. They live in Boston, MA.

There will be a memorial gathering at 2:00 pm on January 5, 2014 at the Pioneer Park Civic Center in Fairbanks. See this website http://koponenalaska.wordpress.com or contact 479-6782 or koponenfamily@chena.org for more information.

Niilo believed we can make a good difference in our community and world. As he used to say, “Onward!”

The Koponen Family

Reflections from Max

I wrote this last night and originally posted it to Facebook where many kind people posted in the comments. – Max

My grandfather Niilo Koponen passed away after waning for the last few years. He was, to me as to many, an inspirational Great Man. I’m proud to be his grandson.

For the past three hours, I’ve been reflecting on his remarkable life, as I know it. Some parts of it: He was born in 1928. He grew up in the Bronx, the son of Finnish immigrants, attending the NY School of Music and Art. He was the first white student at the historically black Wilberforce University. He met my grandmother folk dancing. They intrepidly homesteaded in Fairbanks, Alaska and raised five children. He left Alaska a few times, to earn degrees from Harvard’s Ed School and from the London School of Economics. He was a principal, fire fighter, and later Representative to the State House for 10 years. He helped found the local Head Start, credit union, and Quakers among many other endeavors. He always seemed to inspire those around him.The Sunday sauna at my grandparents’ place has been running for more than 50 years. The ways I think of Sunday sauna are similar to how I think of him: Open and welcoming to all. Without pretense. Full of conversation on endless topics. Quiet, rousing, bold, rugged, and sophisticated. Intense. Without parallel.

He was, in my experience, many things I aspire to be, among them kind, caring, and welcoming of every person, no matter their background or beliefs, and interested in making a better world, one individual action (and one individual) at a time. He believed a better world was possible and worked to make that vision a reality.

I am feeling quite aware how inadequate a few paragraphs are to capture a person. Niilo, who admittedly read at a truly astonishing pace, would have read the above in about 5 seconds. I know I have only touched on a small part of who he was and his life. But I guess that’s all you can do, from one moment to the next. It’s been touching (and even comforting) to hear from those that knew him and, indeed, from those that didn’t. Thanks to everyone for your continuing comments. They mean a lot to me.

My thoughts are with my family, as well as with all those in Fairbanks and elsewhere who knew him. While I am sad, I am also proud and glad that I had the times with him that I did. I’m toasting you, grandpa, with a mug of smoky tea and homestead honey.

I also found this archived article from 2003 (almost exactly 10 years ago) worth revisiting.

Niilo passes on

Surrounded by his loving family, Niilo died peacefully this afternoon Dec. 3, 2013 at Pioneer’s Home in Fairbanks.

There will be a memorial gathering to honor his life at Pioneer Park Civic Center starting at 2 pm Jan. 5, 2014.

Thanks to all who were able to visit and help support the family during his last years.

The Koponen Family
710 Chena Ridge Road
Fairbanks, AK 99712

Niilo moves to rm 201; 1950s friends gather

As winter has finally arrived in interior Alaska, with snow staying just the past 2 weeks, Niilo and Joan continue in stable health.
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To accommodate a new resident couple needing adjoining rooms at the Pioneers Home, Niilo moved yesterday to room 201, across from the Aurora wing entrance. His room has nice wallpaper and staff did a nice job hanging up all his pictures in and outside his room. Joan continues living at home on Chena Ridge.
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In September, Joan rode the rails to Denali Park with Heather & Rob along for a day. She enjoyed the rich red, yellow, and green scenery, games, the museum, and delicious meals. Too bad Niilo couldn’t join us!
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Also in September, prompted by the visit of Ben & Evelyn Zeller, former next-door neighbors, a potluck & singing party was held at Koponens, with old friends from the 1950s. Since only a portion of “songs To Be Sung In Case of Emergency” were sung, it must not have been a true emergency, but folks enjoyed catching up and remembering.
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Heather

Jari’s Update

I’m writing this note in Finnish and hoping that the translation app will translate this correctly to English. If it does not work well we can also communicate in English.

I’ve been retired over 2 years from Finnair and my wife Anu retired in early June. We have had some health issues lately. I have arthritis on my left hip, which limits my movements a bit. Anu was diagnosed with lymph node cancer in December which had spread to her neck, right lung and liver. Over 6 months of hard chemo treatments, she is healthy again. Thanks for the modern medicine.

We were recuperating for 2 months in our cabin in Iitti in central Finland. Anu’s health has been steadily improved and she is getting stronger every day. Tomorrow we are heading to Naantali, my old home town in western Finland and then for the rest of the summer back to Iitti.

That’s what’s happening with us,
Jari

All 5 ‘kids’ again!

It was great to have Niilo & Joan’s eldest children on the homestead this summer for 3 weeks each, with one week during which all 5 ‘kids’ were here together. [Not to be confused with goat kids, of which N & J had way too many during a period of their younger days. Joan is glad to have no more of those kids around!]

In addition to doing many and fun things with Mom, Nonni and Sanni helped with projects, so there is now lots more fire wood and a section of 60-year-old roof that had been damaged by squirrels, weather, wear, etc, has been re-insulated. We read that many roofs need repair every 15-20 years, so for this to have survived this long is credit to its builders: Niilo, Joan, and toddler Nonni, as documented in the wonderful old photo albums.

After a very late cold May, with some piles of snow left into June, it has been a wonderfully warm, dry -perhaps too dry – summer. The garden and berry bushes provide much satisfaction.

Joan, Heather, and Rob take Niilo outdoors for strolls around the Pioneers Home, listening to the rustling trees, feeling the sun and breeze, smelling the roses and spruce and labrador tea.

Savor these pleasant moments…
Heather

Visits with old friends are so wonderful!

What fun walking the trails, visiting over tea with honey and lemon as Joan has served it for more than half a century, and hearing stories events and everyday friendship from times stretching almost that far back….
Nat, who started the Equinox Marathon 50 years ago and got bicycle and pedestrian trails to be some of the best features of Anchorage, joined Chena, Gary, and Heather, and his own wife Caren in the below-zero-degree sunshine walking homestead trails, then visiting with Joan where she has hosted him over the decades. They shared stories and concerns and the hope for trails to remain part of the landscape into the future.

Heather

Niilo at 85 yrs old

Turning 85 on March 6th, Niilo was feted by his fellow Fairbanks Pioneers Home residents and staff at lunchtime and again by family in the evening. He was alert all but a few moments of 3 evening hours; I think he truly knew what was going on and enjoyed the warmth, singing, musical slide show, and – of course – ice cream. He nodded yes to more ice cream and tried to speak a couple of times.

Joan also enjoyed the occasion, especially the musical slide show and ice cream. She seems eager to catch up to Niilo, too, feeling sure she is 83, not just about to turn 82 in April.

HeatherJ-N horsebackParade1990?

Nor’easter blows into Fairbanks

We had a fast-paced but fun visit from Max’s band Nor’easter the beginning of February, coming to Fairbanks for the Contra Borealis Dancer‘s Winter Dance Weekend.   Got all the siblings out to dance (Alex wins the stamina award) and Joan also joined for a concert at the College Coffeehouse.   The band and Brattleboro, VT caller Rebecca Lay returned to the Northeast just in time for a real Nor’easter.    You can listen to the band’s interview and music podcast on our public radio station KUAC’s website.  We took everyone dog mushing and on a trip to Chena Hot Springs for a surreal soak surrounded by snow and ice following the weekend.  Max managed to fit in time to visit with Grandma and Grandpa and take in Sunday sauna. Max’s brother Ben, now living and working in Anchorage for the Alaska Dept. of Transportation, got to host them for a couple of evening prior as a special contradance was arranged for the band and caller in Anchorage.  We heard they rocked the hall.  An awesome time was had by all.

Nor'easter with Chena and Gary

Neighborhood Horses and Mule

Who would have thought horses like mint?
That is the flavor of the treats Joan and Heather were provided to give neighbor horses of Cindie and Lauren – and the mule boarding with them.

It was a very brisk day, the kind that makes horses’ fur stand out with each hair frosted lightly at the ends, and breath billowing in the cold. So after brief petting and treats, the 2-legged company retreated to the heated tack room to discuss feed, water, tack, trails, rodent damage, and so forth. Nice to get to know some of the animals who leave their hoofprints on the local trails! And nice to get to know their people, our neighbors!