William Frederick Kopfler

William Frederick Kopfler, II, Captain, US Navy, retired, died at Linus Oakes in Roseburg on Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2012 at the age of 91. Captain Kopfler was born in New Orleans, LA on September 21, 1920, to Dr. Joseph Starns Kopfler and Nona Reeves Almand Kopfler of Kenner, LA. He was married in Kenner on November 25, 1943 to Eileen Gibson Smith, of Bayside, Long Island, NY. They had three children: Dixie Eileen Kopfler Susalla, born September 3, 1945; Dulcie Anne Kopfler Bagley, born February 23, 1948; and William Edward Kopfler, born February 3, 1952, died February 6, 1952. All children were born in Phoenix, AZ. Mr. Kopfler was educated in public schools in Kenner, LA. He received his engineering degrees at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette, LA and Iowa State University, Ames, IA. He had postgraduate education in specific technical fields at Yale University, California Institute of Technology, Naval Postgraduate School, University of Colorado and Oak Ridge Technical Institute. Before and after service in WW II, Captain Kopfler worked as an engineer for the Army Corps of Engineers in New Orleans, Riverside County, CA and Yost and Gardner Engineers, Phoenix, AZ. He was called to active duty in 1951 for service in the Korean War, and remained on active duty in the Navy until July 31, 1969. He served as a Civil Engineer Corps officer as a Lieutenant through Captain at naval facilities in Arizona; London, England; Port Lyautey, Morocco; Dallas, Texas; Manila, Philippines; Boston, MA; and San Francisco, CA on design, construction supervision, facilities management and Reserve personnel recruitment and training. Following his naval service, Captain Kopfler entered federal civil service in the U.S. Forest Service in San Francisto, CA and Washington, DC. In Washington he was the Chief Water Resources Engineer of the Forest Service. He transferred to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission staff in Washington in 1977 and ended his career as Regional Director, FERC in San Francisco. His office had responsibility for administration of federal licenses on privately owned hydroelectric dams on Federal property or navigable streams, from the Rockies to Hawaii and from Alaska through California. He retired from that position on January 3, 1986, and combined military and federal service totaling 44 years. After retirement, he was a private consultant on licensed hydroelectric projects for two years. He and Mrs. Kopfler lived in San Mateo, CA from 1964 until 1993, with the exception of three years when they lived in Falls Church, VA. In December 1993 they moved to the Linus Oakes Retirement Center in Roseburg, OR. Captain Kopfler was a Master Mason (Montezuma Lodge No. 35, F. and A.M.); a Registered Professional Engineer in Arizona, Texas and California; a Fellow and Life Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Society of American Military Engineers; a life member of the Naval Institute; the Association of Naval Civil Engineers; a life member of the Retired Officers Association; the Association of State Dam Safety Officials, the U.S. Committee on Large Dams and an Elder in the Presbyterian Church. At his death he was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Roseburg. He was preceded in death by his wife, Eileen, in July of 2011. He is survived by his daughters, sons-in-law Captain Paul K. Susalla of Peoria, AZ and Richard D. Bagley of Roseburg, OR, one grandson Jeffrey Allen and his wife Marina, of Lausanne, Switzerland, and two step grandsons, Justin Bagley and his wife Janelle of Seattle, WA and Shawn Bagley, of Asheville, NC. One great-grandson, Elio Allen, of Lausanne, Switzerland, and two step great-grandsons, Keiden Bagley and Kai Bagley of Seattle, WA also survive Captain Kopfler.