We lost a kind, sensitive, wonderful friend when John K. Koerner passed away on August 20, 2021. He was born in Flint, Michigan, on April 24, 1945, into an incredibly loving family. His father, Carl, worked for General Motor, and climbed the executive ladder in the foundry division. The family was moved throughout the Midwest, ultimately landing in the corporate headquarters in Saginaw, Michigan. John also had an incredible mother, Madelon, and leaves behind brother Jim and sister Martha. Oldest son John grew up mostly in Saginaw and attended Arthur Hill High School where he swam competitively and had a wonderful group of friends. He played the guitar, had a wonderful voice, and sang with a bunch of his buddies. And they had fun.
John was aspiring to attend medical school, and thinking prep school might improve his options, he spent his last two years of high school at Williston. He attended Colgate University where he majored in English and then entered the VISTA program. They had him providing counselling for the underserved in Portland, Oregon. He explored being an electrician and then achieved a degree in programming; but, along the way, he was developing a deepening attraction to serving people, especially in a spiritual way.
John moved to Los Angeles and took a job at the University of Southern California as a Benefits Manager, assisting employees. While in Los Angeles John became increasingly more involved in spirituality and multiple religions; he traveled and spent time in the Middle East and Egypt.
When he returned home, he moved into an apartment in Marina Del Rey, retiring and focusing on spirituality. He made a life of going to the beach, visiting the Whole Earth café, being with friends and meditating. We miss his incredible smile and how easy it was to “catch up” with John and laugh all the way through it. John revered his family and friends, and let it be known that he loved us all and hoped that we would always know that. We do.
He was the first friend I made at Colgate. At the Colgate Inn that first night he asked me “wanna get a pitcher?” Yes was the answer, and that began a four year friendship. We were roomies at the DKE house. In that edifice he turned me on to tons of great music: folk, jazz, obscure blues, little known rock., etc. The main artist he thrust upon me was Bob Dylan. We’d go to sleep with Dylan’s records playing. Any knowledge of those early Zimmerman efforts I owe to him and am truly thankful for it. In fact, tonight I was watching the American Masters show about Dylan called “No Direction Home” on PBS, which powerfully brought back those times at DKE. I immediately felt I had to find and thank him for Dylan and all the other great music he gave me. It was then that I found out he had died. I can’t believe how hard I cried. Very few times in my life have I felt such a sense of loss. I wish we’d stayed in touch over the years…