Dr. Jürgen Koppensteiner, 70, of Graz, Austria, formerly of Cedar Falls, died January 18, 2011, in Graz, after a short illness. He was born September 28, 1940, in Vienna, Austria, son of Dipl. Ing. Walter and Anna Koppensteiner. He married Roswitha Gann June 19, 1971.
He studied at the University of Graz, and joined the University of Northern Iowa in 1968 as an assistant professor in the Department of Modern Languages. He was named full professor in 1976, retiring in 2007 after about forty years at UNI. During those years, he gave numerous lectures and seminars around the world. Dr. Koppensteiner published five books and more than one hundred articles in professional journals and newspapers. He received several awards, including the Board of Regents State of Iowa award for Faculty Excellence in 2005. He continued to work professionally after retiring.
Survived by: his wife; a daughter, Barbara (Clif) Melcher of Oceanside, California; and two grandchildren, Elizabeth and Alex, both of Oceanside; and a sister and brother, both of Germany. Preceded in death by: a sister, Ingeborg.
Memorials: may be directed to the Hearst Center in Cedar Falls or the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra.
He was a long time supporter of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra and an avid collector of modern Austrian art.
Copyright Waterloo Courier on-line edition; downloaded October 31, 2011.