Obituary of Jeffrey Jon Kozy

It is with great sadness that the Kozy family announces the death of Jeffrey Jon Kozy on December 23, 2022. Jeff died at home, in his sleep surrounded by family after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Jeff was proud of the fact that he was raised in Toledo, Ohio. He graduated from Miami of Ohio with a degree in finance, University of Toledo with a degree in Biology and the Ohio State University with a Dental degree. After completing his education, he moved back to Toledo with his wife, Mallie to practice dentistry and raise his family. He retired his practice after 35 successful and satisfying years and moved to the state of Oregon. Although an avid tennis player growing up, and an excellent downhill skier, his adult passion for sport was found in golf. He found the perfect retirement job at a golf course in Oregon where he worked as a starter and players' assistant 1-2 days a week. Here he found joy not only in the work and the golf, but his colleagues who became close friends and golfing buddies. He also loved to work with his hands doing everything from fixing broken household appliances, making furniture, and fashioning jewelry. It is with considerable pride that he made the wedding rings for himself, his wife, his children and their spouses. More recently his tinkering involved re-shafting and regripping golf clubs and working on his beloved 1963 Tr3b sports car. Jeff thrived doing hands on work on his car. Nighttime would find him pouring over car manuals and watching YouTube videos about the finer points of carburetors and overdrive mechanisms. He once admitted that he sometimes enjoyed fixing the car more than driving it. More than tinkering or golf he loved his family and the people in his life. He met his wife Mallie while in dental school and she was his constant companion for over 45 years. Together they raised their two children, and shared life's adventures. In recent years he made sure they traveled together so that she could see parts of Europe and the world he had experienced when he was younger. He adored his children. When his son was young Jeff would often drive an hour or more to find a skateboard park for his son to practice his skills. He would sit on the bleachers in the rain to watch his son play soccer or his daughter compete in a track meet. He loved sharing his knowledge of fixing things with both his children and withstood countless jokes about mansplaining something or being sexist when he taught something to his son but not his daughter. He took it all in stride, just glad to be doing something alongside one or both of his children. Jeff revered the friendships he made throughout his life. First among those were his brothers with whom he played golf, shot pheasant and shared family stories. His golfing friendships endured from his time playing with the dental group- the Rovers, to his regular playing partners in Toldeo to his workmates at Stone Creek in Oregon. He cherished his dental patients, many of whom continued to correspond after his retirement. Jeff is survived by his wife Mallie, his children Martha (Bernie) Rissmiller, David (Brittany) Kozy, his five grandchildren Lexi and Eleanor Rissmiller and Carson, Elaina, and Ainsley Kozy, his brothers Paul (Marcia) Kozy and David (Terri) Kozy and many nieces and nephews. Jeff was preceded in death by his parents John S. Kozy and (Miriam) June Kozy, his brother Peter Kozy, and his uncle James Wingate. Jeff is very grateful for the cancer treatment he received and knows that his life and quality of life had been extended because of recent scientific gains. His desire was for cancer research to continue at an aggressive pace. Gifts can be made to support cancer research in memory of Dr. Jeffrey Kozy at Providence Cancer Institute through the Providence Portland Medical Foundation https://orppm.give.providence.org/fundraiser/4345315 or by mail at Providence Portland Medical Foundation, 4805 NE Glisan Street Suite 1G-14, Portland OR 97213. Include note or write on memo line: Cancer research in memory of Dr. Jeffrey Kozy.