A beloved teacher, collector, husband and friend, John Grosskopf left a lasting impact on countless students and the community around him when he passed away in July 2020.
“Not having children of his own, John was a father figure and mentor to thousands of students and dozens of teachers in his 30 years of elementary education,” said his wife of 30 years, Kathy Grosskopf.
At the time of his passing, John was working with Boerne ISD, and had also been an Assistant Principal at Cornerstone Christian Schools and at his alma mater, Southside ISD in San Antonio, Texas.
John was a wonderful teacher in part because he was known for being able to answer almost any question, Kathy said.
“He’s super smart, brilliant,” said Kathy. “He was a giver, he taught anything and everything to everyone.”
John was able to give, even after his death, because he was a tissue donor. Through South Texas Blood & Tissue, an accredited tissue bank that connects donors on the national organ, eye and tissue registry with patients in need, John’s tissue donation went on to help save or enhance the lives of up to 75 different people.
He was also a cornea donor, and his donated corneas went on to restore sight to up to two people.
John died unexpectedly from a ruptured appendix, but Kathy and John had made their wishes known by joining the Donate Life registry when they last renewed their driver’s licenses.
“Just like John, I’d like to donate whatever is usable and pass on the gift of life,” Kathy said.
Not only was John a selfless teacher to young children, but he also had a passion for collecting old movie memorabilia and comic books. John often produced videos for his classes and Kathy thought he was planning to be a filmmaker after retiring.
Those who knew John also knew that he had an immense love of bacon and a sense of humor about it. He once told Kathy, “Life is too short to not eat bacon and when I get to heaven, I’m going to thank Jesus for inventing bacon.”
Now, John’s friends and family remember him fondly through every mention or bite of bacon.
