Donald Philip Koontz

Donald Philip Koontz passed away on January 5, 2012 in Lakewood,Colorado, from complications of pancreatic cancer. He was 100 year old.
Born in Parker, Kansas, on September 4, 1911, Don (as his friends and family called him) was the third child (of five) of Edward Koontz and Bertha Ann (Stark) Koontz. He grew up in the Parker area, attended Parker Elementary school, and graduated from Parker High School in 1929. He played baseball, football and track while in high school. His interests and pastimes included hunting deer and pheasant, and in later life, restorting antique tractors and doing crossword and jigsaw puzzles. He was also an avid reader.
After high school, Don worked for the MK and T railroad as a Signal Keeper. He later worked at the Topeka State Hospital and Osawatomie (KS) State Hospital.
In 1933, Don met Frieda Stevens who was from the Fontana, Kansas area. They were married in the Paola county courthouse that year. The couple moved to Pueblo, Colorado, then to Rosemead in sourthern California, where Don was a machinist in nearby Whittier.
Don and Frieda returned to Kansas and settled permanently in Parker. In 1937,Don bought out the family partners of the Koontz Bus Company, which provided school buses for a number of school districts, including Garnett, Parker, Mound City and Blue Mound. Don drove buses from time to time, but devoted most of his time to running the business.
Don was elected County Commissioner in Linn County, Kansas, and also served a term as County Commissioner in Anderson County.
He retired from the school bus business in 1973 and bought a farm. He farmed cattle and crops (wheat, milo, alfalfa and soy beans) for several years.
Frieda passed away in 1987 in Garnett. Don then moved into town where he built three houses, living in one of them. He bought another farm and continued farming until 1999.
In March of 2001, Don made a consolation call to a high-school sweetheart, Fern (Hodgson) Hosley, who had just lost the last of her six brothers. It was the first time they had spoken in 68 years. Fern, twice-widowed, was living in Littleton, Colorodo, at the time. Don called her and later suggested they get together and talk over old times. They did, and, as he put it, "I didn't want to go home and at our age we couldn't afford a long courtship." The two were married in November of 2001 and continued to live in Littleton until 2009 when they moved to Lakewood, Colorado.
At a family picnic celebrating his 100th birthday, Don remarked, "We've had ten years of happy life." Approximately 30 friends and family members attended the celebration, and Don received over 200 birthday cards-many coming from now-grown children who remembered him as their school bus driver.
Don and Fern belonged to the Presbyterian Church in Littleton-the church in which they were married. He was a member of Masonic Lodge 341 in Parker, and was Past Master for two years. He also belonged to the Fort Scott Consistory. He was a 32nd degree Mason.
Don is survived by his wife, Fern, nieces and nephews Phil and Judy Neidmeier and Toni Worthington and children from his first marriage: Arlene Folks, Gloria Folsom, and Donald Koontz. Other survivors include nine grandhcildren and fifteen great-grandchildren. He is also survived by two step-daughters, Karen Barrett and Saundra Sheffer, five step-grandchildren, and six step great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on January 17th at Newcomer Funeral Home-West Metro Chapel, and interment of ashes will be in Roselawn Memorial Cemetery. Those wishing to commemorate Donald Koontz's life may contribute to the American Cancer Society or any charity of their choice in Don's name.