July 23, 1935 - September 12, 2024
Her final wish was answered on September 12, 2024 when she passed away peacefully in her sleep at home in her beloved cottage in Wenatchee,Washington. She was 89 years old. We are so thankful that she remained independent, as this was very important to her.
Thea lived her life the way she filled her coffee cup – full to overflowing, every single time. Her family and friends were the most important part of her life, and she treasured them all.
She was born July 23, 1935 in Berlin, Germany. As a young child, she survived the 2nd World War, and much of her childhood was spent hiding out in bomb shelters and having to forage for food. This had a lasting effect on her, and for the rest of her life, she was afraid of enclosed spaces.
She met her first husband Dieter Koppe at a youth hostel in Germany in her teens. Thea was always very athletic, and in 1953 her basketball team won the German Championships, and she was invited to play with the German National Team, however she moved to Canada before joining the team. She graduated high school in 1954, and then spent a year as a nanny in Switzerland. She and Dieter reunited in 1956, and they were married in Berlin shortly after.
Their honeymoon was spent crossing the Atlantic by ship. They travelled across Canada by train as far as Prince George, BC, where they moved into a rustic cabin on the Hart Highway. She was very proud of getting her first job in Canada cooking for the crew where Dieter was working as a surveyor at the mouth of Tacheeda Creek. They spent the summer of 1956 there, and on weekends they built a cabin at Tacheeda Lake which they named Chalet Monica. Thea had a diverse career, working as a cook, cleaner, waitress, bank teller, office worker, and eventually getting a job as surveyor, the one she loved the most.
Their son Peter was born on February 21st, 1957, and the three of them spent many years doing outdoor activities together nearly every weekend. They loved to explore, hunt, fish, hike, and ski. In 1967 they built a house in North Nechako, and spent many happy years there. In 1983 Dieter and Thea went their separate ways.
She met her second husband Don Fager on a Canadian Mountain Holidays trip, and she moved to Wenatchee, Washington. They spent many years skiing, rock climbing, hiking, and travelling the world together. She was a strong supporter of the YMCA and the Mission Ridge Ski Patrol.
Thea was predeceased by her first husband Dieter Koppe, second husband Don Fager, sister Marianne, brother-in-law Karlheinz, son Peter, and granddaughter “little Thea”.
She is survived by her precious granddaughters Jessie (Josh), Aimee (Logan), Naomi (Todd), daughter-in-law Maxine (Dave), and great grandchildren Cody, Chloe, Clare, Nicholas, Emma, Malakai, Shandelle, and Solomon. She is also survived by Don’s children, Donna (Dean), Susan (John), Craig (Beth), Maureen (Dave), Scott (Kristina) and their families as well as many special friends. She was much loved, and will be deeply missed.
Her family would like to extend a special thank you to her close friends Sobie, Barbara, and Ann, and stepdaughter Donna Parsons who was always there for her when we couldn’t be.
No service by request. In lieu of flowers, anyone wishing may make a donation to one of her two favorite charities The Alpine Club of Canada, 201 Indian Flats Rd. PO Box 8040 Main St, Canmore, AB, T1W 2T8, Canada, or Ecojustice, 425 Carrall St Suite 390, Vancouver, BC V6B 6E3.
Published in the Prince George Citizen on October 3, 2024.