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Pete James Koppel
Arensberg-Pruett
Leavenworth, KS

 Funeral services will be Thursday, October 15, 2015 at 2:00 P.M. at Arensberg-Pruett Funeral Home.  Visitation with the family will be Wednesday, October 14th at the funeral home from 7:00 until 8:30 P.M.  In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions are suggested to Wounded Warrior Project and may be left in care of the funeral home.  Online condolences may be left at www.arensbergpruett.com.


Pete was born and raised in Folcroft, Pennsylvania.  As a youngster, Pete always wanted to be in the service and carried that dream until he enlisted in the Army in 2005.

Before enlisting in the Army Pete was an owner of a carpet installation company.
He enjoyed boxing at the P.A.L. Center in Upper Darby, PA and had the honor of sparring with Joe Frazier.

Pete and his younger brother, De’ Sean Pelzer had a special relationship, whether it was teasing De’ Sean or playing video games with him, even while he was in Korea.  The two brothers were avid Cowboys fans.

Pete became an uncle for the first time in March of 1997.  He again became an uncle in December 1998, April 2000, December 2002, June 2004 and June 2005.  He loved being involved in his nieces and nephews lives.

Pete graduated from the U.S. Army Infantry School at Ft. Benning, GA on December 13, 2005, followed by duty at Ft. Carson, Colorado.  He deployed to Iraq on March 8, 2006 and served a year in combat. Upon returning from deployment he became a Military Policeman and served as a Military Corrections Specialist at Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas. Pete was then transferred to Korea. After serving in Korea for a year, he returned to Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.

Pete enjoyed riding his motorcycle and was an avid target shooter while residing in Kansas.
While Stationed in Ft. Leavenworth he was introduced to a woman named Kandice in December of 2011. Pete fell fast and hard for Kandice and son Bryson during their five and a half month courtship. On May 21, 2012, Pete and Kandice recited wedding vows during a small ceremony and on November 8, 2013 they welcomed son Abel James into their family.

Pete became an honored, loving family man who still was not embarrassed to call himself a mommy’s boy.

Preceded in death by: maternal grandmother Rita Dorrian (Nanny), nephew John Daniel Hamilton Jr. (JJ), paternal grandfather Gustave Koppel.
Survived by: wife Kandice Koppel (nee Payne), sons Bryson and Abel, mother Corinne Koppel, brother De’ Sean Pelzer, sisters Catherine Roberts (Mark) (nee Koppel), Jennifer Koppel, nieces Angel and Kayla, nephews Xavier, Kenny and Jacob, Grandparents Catherine Koppel, Carol (nee Allen)and Donnie Oliver, Toby Long, son in law to Kenny and Janet(nee McLaughlin) Payne, Tracy Potts brother in law to Kamin Potts, Penny Hayes (nee Estes), Spc. Kelsi Macias (Gregory) (nee Payne), Kennedy Long and many aunts, uncles, cousins, military family, and friends.