With a smile and a laugh, and a twinkle in his eye – that is how Kevin Kozar will be remembered.
In a tragic moment, at the young age of 49, Kevin passed away of natural causes after a quiet evening at one of his favourite places on earth, his camp at West Loon Lake.
Kevin leaves behind a close knit and loving family – his wife Amy, and his three sons Charlie, Harry and Miles. He also survived by his mother Elaine, sister Allison, and extended members of the Kerr and Johnson families. Kevin was predeceased by his father David whom he remembered often with love and admiration.
Kevin was born in Thunder Bay and enjoyed his first 9 years living happily on Ray Blvd. Those years centered around family activities at the Carrick Rec Centre and the legendary back yard pool. Kevin learned to skate, swim, ride a bike, charm his elders, break his arm, and make his family laugh.
In the mid 80s, the Kozar family relocated to Fort Frances which Kevin would forever consider his hometown. Kevin embraced his new environment, becoming a mediocre Aquanaut, while engaging in childhood shenanigans and managing to break his other arm which he could never straighten properly again. The early Fort Frances years were remembered for long bike rides, a devotion to the WWF and his best Christmas present ever, when he finally received his own personal dust buster! During this time Kevin established a group of friends who became his lifelong support network. Together they endured hypercolour shirts and mullets, managed to gain and lose and re-gain driver’s licenses, and eventually graduate high school with an endless supply of oft repeated stories.
In 1996 Kevin managed to be in the right place at the right time. On a Saturday night in September, he stopped in at the Rainy Lake Hotel for last call on his way home from work. While there he met Amy who had recently moved to town, knew no one in this incredibly classy establishment, and really needed a ride home. She thought he had a kind face so she accepted the ride and reluctantly agreed to go to a movie with him a few days later. The first date was terrible as Kevin was nervous and sweaty, but the second date at the Little Ponderosa locked him in as her partner for life.
Kevin would joke that he was never a model student in his youth. He was however, never afraid of hard work and loved to connect with people. Over the years he delivered pizza, pumped gas, drove the local handi-van, worked in building maintenance and retail - finding success wherever he applied himself. He tried out several academic paths before finally finding his true passion. In 1999 Kevin graduated from SAIT with a diploma in Wood Processing Technology and in 2005 he completed his degree in Mechanical Engineering at Lakehead University. He loved to tell people that at his graduation he was 30 years old and a brand new father to a 3 week old – reinforcing that it was never a bad time to pursue your dreams.
Kevin began his engineering career at Wardrop and his family with Amy at the same time. He tackled both roles with joy and enthusiasm. He met every challenge with humility, grace and humour…so, so much humour. He had a song or a joke for every situation and time of day. He was famous for his creative family cruise t-shirts which were guaranteed to make you smile. His boys loved spending time with their super fun dad, and he loved supporting them in all of their pursuits.
As the boys grew, so did Kevin’s career, leading him to achieve his dream of creating of Kozar Engineering in 2012. Kevin was not afraid to take a risk, trusting in his ability build meaningful relationships while providing practical, workable solutions for his clients. He quickly grew his office from a single man operation to a successful mid-sized firm, valuing collaboration, professionalism and a supportive environment for all. Kevin thought of his staff as his family. He cared deeply for their personal happiness and was so proud of their developing skills and accomplishments. After 12 successful years, Kozar Engineering recently joined CIMA+, and Kevin was very excited about all of the new opportunities this would bring for his team.
Kevin devoted almost 30 years to coaching and supporting minor hockey. He was inspired by the positive experiences he had with his first coaches – his dad Dave and friend Brian Johnstone. Kevin dedicated himself to ensuring opportunities for all who wanted to play, serving as the president of the KC Minor Hockey Association for multiple terms. Although he coached all of the age groups over the years, Kevin had a soft spot for the novice skaters. He relished his opportunity to be a Santa on skates, shooting the t-shirt cannon at excited 4 year olds. Kevin found many ways to quietly support his community, while ensuring that kids’ needs came first. He particularly loved promoting his chosen community of Westfort and the Thunder Bay Border Cats.
Kevin’s passions spanned widely, but he had the most genuine interest in people, always taking time to catch up and check in on the people he cared about. Over the years he loved biking, fishing and Blue Jays baseball. He was happy to explain to you why Rush was the best band ever, or invite you over to Pier 297 for a beverage from his beloved ice machine.
Kevin had big dreams for his family. He recently completed his ultimate project – the build of his beautiful retreat on West Loon Lake. This place became his solace and we see his love in every detail that he thoughtfully selected and designed. But as much as Kevin loved his home, he also loved to travel and experience the world. We are so thankful for all or the wonderful adventures we had together, and so sad that we didn’t get to take all of those trips that we had planned.
If you knew Kevin, you loved him. Our house is so quiet now that he is gone. He filled our lives with love and laugher and is forever #1 in our hearts.
Please join us in remembering Kevin on Thursday, June 27 at 11:30 am, at the Valhalla Inn. You are welcome to wear your most ridiculous t-shirt, plaid or Hawaiian shirt in honour of the man who never took himself too seriously. In lieu of flowers, please consider supporting the JDRF or a local kids focused charity.
Online condolences and fond memories may be shared at www.sargentandson.com.
