On Tuesday, June 7th, 2022 John passed away peacefully in his 89th year after a long and fulfilling life.
He was a true artist at heart. From Hals, Passau, Germany, he was both a musician and a Moebel Baumeister/Shreinermeister (Master Carpenter) who pursued the Canadian dream for better opportunities. In the fall of 1956, he traded his beloved motorcycle for a $150 in his back pocket and arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax, setting down roots in the community of Kitchener. Beginning with a short stint at Kitchener’s Electrohome, crafting television cabinets on an assembly line, John quickly left to start a home building company with his brother-in-law, Paul Kuntz. Within a few years, John Schropp Builder Ltd was born where John combined his own meticulous craftmanship, personal architectural design with contemporary influences, and his 40-year custom home building career took off. He built hundreds of homes throughout and beyond the Tri-Cities of Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge and received many awards throughout the years. He worked alongside Canadian architects Arthur Erickson and Brian Brisbin and capped off his career developing the beautiful Kitchener subdivision, Manchester Greene.
In addition to his professional work, John always held a passion for music, influenced by early involvement with village brass bands in Hals, Germany, and sustained through later years of performances alongside his upright double bass in “The Rhythmic Five” Oktoberfest Band. He was the first president of the Breslau, Bloomingdale Maryhill Community Band and was a long-time member of the Waterloo Regional Police Band.
He met the love of his life, the beautiful redheaded Gundl, on the dance floor and they shared 56 wonderful years in Breslau, filled with family, friends and travel. He was blessed with three children who he not only taught to ski at Chicopee Ski Hill and windsurf on Blackstone Lake, but for whom he demonstrated that hard work and perseverance would pay dividends throughout life.
John was the greatest storyteller, with a “movie-like memory” that entertained his family and friends for hours and had a laugh that lit up any room he was in. When you became John’s friend, you would stay friends for life. Although his heart would yearn for his Heimat Bayern in later years, he was grateful for the opportunity and professional successes he found in his new home of Canada, which became the foundation for his growing family and the next generations to come.
As expressions of sympathy, donations to the John Schropp Memorial Award at Conestoga College would be appreciated by the family. Proceeds from the fund will be used to support students in Carpentry and Architectural Design, in their quest to build, launch and retain successful careers.
Giving by mail:
Please make cheques payable to Conestoga College and mail to:
Julie Gillis
Manager, Donor Relations & Stewardship
c/o Finance Office
Conestoga College
299 Doon Valley Dr
Kitchener, ON N2G 4M4
Please note on the memo line John Schropp Memorial Award
All donations are eligible for a charitable tax receipt and 100% of the gift will be directed to the John Schropp Memorial Award
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact Julie Gillis at 226-218-2714