https://www.bayviewfuneral.com/obituaries/philip-koppelman

THERE IS A PHOTO VIDEO AT THE END OF PHIL'S OBITUARY ON THE LINK ABOVE

Today I will write our last entry on my Dad's Caringbridge page...
It has been one week since my Dad, Phil Koppelman, passed away peacefully at home with family around him. After his last Oncology appointment on Sept. 25th he decided to go home and discuss the process of enrolling in hospice. He made the decision to stop the current immunotherapy drug because the Dr. said that after looking at his scan, this drug seemed to have stopped being effective. There wasn't another option at this point. The side effects outweighed the benefit. He said he thought that going off meds and trying to get stronger at home without drug side effects would give him the possibility of another drug trial later. But that wasn't to be....

Enrolling with hospice was a decision my Dad and Mom made together to also help my mom keep up with his care. It was explained that he could go off hospice if he wanted to re-enroll with a new treatment plan if his strength improved after going off this drug. It was a good decision. The hospice staff was amazing from day one! The care and support they gave from Sept. 25 (to Oct. 25 when he passed) was amazing both for my Dad and for my Mom. We cannot even begin to describe all they did for Phil, from the first week when he really rallied in spirits, energy and appetite, to the slow decline in energy the next couple of weeks, and then to the surprising deterioration the last 2-3 days. Every step of the way they were a phone call away for questions or to come right over to the house. They were there holding his hands with us when he passed peacefully. All. The. Things. They were with us when his body was taken as he donated his body to Mayo Clinic. They truly are angels on Earth.

We were so fortunate to have had some last visits in with all of his family in the last few days of his life...not knowing they were the last. We all had been with him the day before and evening before he passed. Now we are planning his Celebration of Life service to be held on Nov. 11th in Breckenridge. The Obituary is in the link above with the service information included. It is crazy to think that it has already been a week since he passed. How can that be? He will missed by so many and all the comments on Carl's FB page, my mom's FB page, my page or the Breckenridge FB page show he really has touched many, many lives in Breckenridge and throughout his life. We know that he was a wonderful Dad and Grandpa, but had no idea of the many memories others have of him as well!

Please know if you are reading this that we know we haven't written on this page for a very long time.....Almost 2 years (last entry was Jan. 9, 2022)....because it continued to be so much of the same news with his care and living with cancer that we felt it wasn't something to continue to write about..... until it would be closer to the end.  But the end came quick...faster at the end...more than I thought it would!! Even the oncology Dr. thought it went quick. Dr. Pagliaro called my Mom today with his condolences. Dr. Pagliaro told her he thought there would be at least another appointment and opportunity to say Good Bye to Phil. He said he enjoyed Phil so much and how it was amazing how he had beat all the odds. The expectancy was 3-5 years and he made it 5 and 1/2 years. He handled so many types of procedures and immunotherapy drugs so well. The Dr. said he had never seen anyone have such success, upbeat attitude and heart to battle this cancer like Phil did. We are so grateful for all the care of his doctors and thankful for the willingness to fight that my Dad had!

Now we are trying not to be sad that it is over, but be happy that it happened...as they say. Happy that this season of his life was here in SE MN with us and that he and my Mom had a few more years together to be a part of many milestones. Milestones in OUR lives, as their kids, Carl and Carrie... and in our KID'S lives, his grandkids....Meryll, Alex, Carter, Julianne, Courtney, Jackie and Cody...and in his GREAT GRANDDAUGHTER'S life...Eleanor (who he lived for this last year an a half since she was born. He talked about her constantly and watched videos of her over and over on his iPhone. He loved her to pieces! He was such a loving Grandpa and would always give the best advice and the best hugs...and ever since Meryll was little when they lived in Albert Lea he would say "see ya later alligator" and she would say "after while crocodile". Words he said to her the his last night. We will miss his big hugs, silly jokes or teasing, quick wit, and being a part of his fun hobbies. We will always remember that he was hard-working, kind to others, and generous to friends, family, community, or to those in need. He was humble and content with the simple things in life. He was so concerned for my mom and how hard to worked to care for him. He modeled those things for us so that we can carry those traits with us to continue his legacy with his future decedents. BUT...OH, HOW WE WILL MISS HIM!

We hope this last post on Phil's Caringbridge Page, brings peace and a warm smile to those who reading it, knowing that he passed on to be home with Jesus...with his last words mumbled being "I'm done, let's go". We believe he was saying he was ready to go to heaven and rest in the arms of Jesus.