Franz Kopp

Our beloved husband, father, brother, and uncle, Franz Kopp, passed away on March 10, 2026 at the age of 92. He is survived by his loving wife of 63 years (Elisabeth), son (Franz Kopp), daughter (Elisabeth Kopp Clift), son-in-law (Alex Clift), daughter-in-law (Megan Gill Kopp), and numerous nephews and nieces. He was preceded in death by his brother (Hans Kopp).

Franz was born on January 14, 1934 in Batschsentiwan, an ethnically-German village in the Batschka region of present-day Serbia (formerly Austria-Hungary, then Yugoslavia). He and his family became the victims of the post-WWII ethnic cleansing of Germans and escaped to Obertrum, Austria in 1947. While in Austria, Franz apprenticed at Blumen Neuhauser GmbH in Salzburg where he was trained and worked as a skilled gardener. In 1956, he and his family moved to the United States and settled in Cleveland, Ohio. He married Elisabeth (nee Schneider) in 1962 and had 2 children, Elisabeth followed by Franz. Franz was an incredibly hard worker. He was a lifetime factory worker for Josef and Feiss followed by Hugo Boss. Evenings and weekends, he worked as a landscaper. He was the ultimate do-it-yourselfer and could fix just about anything, even if it meant fixing it "his way" instead of the right way. Franz maintained his family’s historic German legacy as a lifelong member of Banater Club followed by the Donauschwaben German-American Cultural Center. He loved and had a soft spot for all animals dating back to his early childhood, when his first pet was a dachshund (Scheckl). His true passions were his family and friends, traveling, and gardening. He had a blast celebrating Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany with his wife and children at his side. Franz had the ultimate green thumb. He was known for his amazing flowers, fruit trees, and gardens with their bountiful produce, most of which he gifted to family and friends.

Franz will be missed by all who knew him. He made the world a better place. Rest in peace.

Memorial service and interment will be at the Saint Benedict Mausoleum at Holy Cross Cemetery (14609 Brookpark Road, Brook Park, Ohio 44142) at 11:00AM on Friday March 27, 2026. Immediately following, the Kopp family would like to invite you to a reception in Franz’s honor.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in honor of Franz Kopp to The Cleveland Animal Protective League, whose mission is to foster compassion and end animal suffering (https://clevelandapl.org/honor-memorial-donations).