John Dennis Schoppman was born to eternal life on December 15, 2018 surrounded by his family in prayer and love.

John was born in Astoria, New York on July 5, 1953. He was the oldest of six children and grew up in Bayshore, NY. John's parents instilled in him a commitment to public service as his mother was a Registered Nurse and his father a New York Port Authority Police Officer. John's strong sense of justice and passion for service inspired his personal and professional accomplishments throughout his life.

John's Catholic faith was a foundation of his childhood, he had a calling to the priesthood and attended Marquette University's Carmelite Seminary. While studying at Marquette, John formed lifelong friendships with his fellow Carmelites and classmates. However, there was one university student that would change the course of his life forever.

While working overnight campus security, he met a cheerful Cobeen Hall RA, Beth O'Shaughnessy. When Beth needed help dropping a class she was directed to the veteran student, Security Guard John. As John loved to work a system, he directed Beth to follow his "specific instructions to the letter" in order to manipulate the university protocol in her favor. Beth successfully dropped her class and as a thank you, gifted John with chocolate chip cookies. The rest is history.

Beth and John were married on November 18, 1978 in Wilmette, IL. Their children are forever grateful that God intervened and directed John down his true divine path.

John's parents had retired to Brandon, Florida while he was attending Marquette and the newlyweds, Beth and John, followed suit and built their home in Brandon.

John and Beth raised their three children, Mary Ann, Colleen and John Patrick in a loving home that was full of laughter, wonder and encouragement.  Like the oak tree in front of his house, John's roots ran deep throughout the community. John fulfilled his passion for service in many ways, as he was a Volunteer Firefighter at Bloomingdale Fire Department, coached his daughters' soccer teams at Brandon Area Youth Soccer League (BAYSL) and Players Club of Tampa and was a member of the board for the Tampa Community Health Center and Ruskin Migrant and Community Health Center. He was also extremely active in his parish as a member of the school board and finance committee for Nativity Catholic Church.

John started his career as a Program Director for the American Cancer Society. Additionally, he contracted with NASA and founded the Space Medicine Institute to promote the transfer of technology between NASA and Florida Universities. He went on to earn his Master of Public Health with USF while working for the USF Health OBGYN Department. He continued in several roles at USF including an advisor and recruiter for the USF College of Medicine.

He loved to help people discover their own calling, and naturally fell into the role of mentor to college students interested in pursuing medicine and medical students on their journey to becoming doctors while working at USF College of Medicine. He was always willing to listen, offer some words of wisdom, and of course assist is maneuvering a system.

John's path through life wasn't always easy, but he is remembered fondly by friends and family for his optimistic outlook and strong faith. His clever wit informed by a deep historical understanding provided him with a knack to glean insights that others may overlook. He had a rare skill in providing advice and counsel that was specific to your own personality. He often spoke in parables and was an articulate storyteller. These qualities made him a friend to many, and a constant source of inspiration and advice to his children. The Schoppman house was often filled with rich debates, historical satires and late-night conversations about politics, religion and life.

Though John is best known for his many personal and professional accomplishments, he considered his greatest joy the love he shared with his Beth, who preceded him in death. He would often jokingly introduce her as his "first wife", but she would remain his only love. The foundation of care and service that was instilled in him by his parents was multiplied through his life and has been passed on to his children.

In lieu of flowers John's family is raising funds in his memory to support medical research and education. If you'd like to donate in John's name, please visit: https://www.gofundme.com/john-schoppman-memorial