Francis "Paul" Koczur

Paul Koczur lived in Independence and was 77 years old. He died on August 27, 2020 at 9:57am with the supreme disappointment that he didn’t live long enough to vote Trump out of the White House.

Paul was born and raised in New Brighton & Beaver County, Pennsylvania. There he was an ornery child who was, according to himself, kicked out of choir because he couldn’t sing. That lack of ability did not stop him from singing along with his favorite tunes, Christmas songs, or in the hospital at the top of his lungs. As an adult, Paul moved to Kansas City, MO to attend airplane repair school. He also worked in the Kansas City railroad yards before moving to Bendix/Honeywell where he worked on non-nuclear parts for nuclear weapons. When asked what he did at work, he said, “I make toasters.”

Paul met his soulmate Marion Burgomaster in Kansas City. They discovered they were friends, often meeting up after dates with other people to compare notes. Eventually, they realized they were in love and married. During their courtship and marriage, they apparently had some wild parties. One party had them sneaking the women out a back window when the police were at the front door. They were sports fans and had season tickets to see the Chiefs. Not only did Paul enjoy sports, he was an avid fisherman. That pastime remained consistent throughout his life.

After settling down, Paul and Marion had a daughter. Paul was a great father to Krissie. He taught her to play with her first dog, Popeye. Paul and Marion took Krissie fishing and camping (even when she didn’t want to go). He taught her patience by having her row him around Lake Paradise in his fishing boat. Who needs a trolling motor when you have a kid?!

Paul also shared his love of tv, movies, trivia and sports with Krissie. Together they watched old Godzilla movies, Star Wars, Star Trek (all generations). Paul took his father and Krissie to see Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in the newly renovated theater with Dolby Surround sound. Not only did Paul share his love of entertainment; but, he also shared his love of sports. Paul taught Krissie how to pace and shout words of encouragement to the players on the screen.

When Krissie started dancing, Paul and Marion were solid supporters. Not only did they schlep costumes, shows, and props but they also spent hours dragging around a video camera. Paul not only recorded the performances but he also recorded the ground as he ran ahead to record parade performances. Paul ended up on stage, first as a partner to Krissie and later as a member of the adult dance troupe. He always said any dance routine wrapped in a flag would win. He ended up being right more often than not.

At various times over the years, Paul would take the family back East to visit his parents, Leonard and Frances Koczur, his siblings and their families Leonard and Pat and Frances Ann and Charles. At each event and since his passing, Paul’s siblings have shared great stories about him.

In his later years, Paul continued to enjoy camping and fishing at Lake Paradise. While at the lake, he kept busy as a work camper keeping the park looking good. Paul and Marion developed quite a few friendships while camping. Rumor has it that Paul (or Pual, after too much “taste of the grape”) and his camping cohorts would have golf car races around the park, in the dark.

Paul also enjoyed being a grandfather to Camden. As a grandfather, he made sure to constantly have candy on hand to give to the boy. He introduced Camden to trains and allowed Camden to run Paul’s valuable model trains during the Christmas season. Paul attended Camden’s events to offer his support. During Camden’s freshman year of high school, Paul braved the hot and cold Midwest football season to watch Camden perform during halftime with the high school marching band.

He also enjoyed packing up the RV and heading south for the winter with Marion. They would explore different areas in Texas around their various campgrounds. In his down time he also enjoyed carving wood. He specialized in faces on walking sticks. Although he wasn’t very lucky, Paul enjoyed buying lottery tickets with the hopes of winning big.

Throughout his life, Paul kept up on current events. For years, he read the newspaper cover to cover. In later years, he watched television and kept current by reading online. That knowledge allowed him to engage people in lively debates. Oftentimes he would say things simply to rile his friends. Since he did have strong opinions that he loved to share, Marion generally limited the amount of time he could pontificate from the top of his soap box.

Paul was born May 24, 1943 in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. He is preceded in death by his parents, Leonard and Frances Koczur, as well as various extended family members, and several beloved pets. He is survived by his wife, Marion Koczur, his daughter and her husband, Kris and Darryl Hicks, his grandson Camden, and his siblings and their families, Leonard and Pat Koczur, Frances Ann and Charles McElroy.

As Paul preferred a party over a funeral, the family will host a Campfire Celebration of Life at Lake Paradise on Sept. 12 from 4:00pm - 8:00pm. They ask those interested in attending to RSVP as food and drink will be provided. Please join them by bringing a Chair and a Story to Share.