Silvio Michael Fopp, 89
Silvio Michael 'Mike' Fopp passed away Feb. 10, 2007. He was born on the Fourth of July, 1917, to the sound of fireworks set off by his two brothers at their home in Somers. Mike graduated from Flathead County High School in 1936.
To earn funds for college tuition at the School of Mines (now Montana Tech) in Butte, he worked a year in Somers and also worked in the copper mines during his college years. Upon graduation with a Bachelor of Science degree in mining engineering, he joined the U.S. Navy. Mike attended the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Naval Gun Factory. He served in the Pacific Theater during World War II and was discharged as a lieutenant commander in 1945.
Mike was employed from 1945 to 1953 with construction firms in the San Francisco Bay area, Hawaii, the Philippines and for Braden Copper Co. (Kenicott Copper) in Chile as its field superintendent.
Mike married Barbara Jean Beeman of Kalispell on March 18, 1954. They moved to Marin County, Calif., and Mike began working in San Francisco for C.L. Harney Inc. as construction superintendent. In 1956 he became associated and later partner with Gordon I. Gould and Co. He worked on an international basis in more than 40 countries.
Mike was owner/president of Aggregate Engineers and was associated with C.P. & D., as vice president/general manager. Mike was a member of the National Defense Executive Reserve for the Department of the Interior. He also served as an expert witness for the EPA on mercury, asbestos, and beryllium, and testified before both Senate and House committees. He was a registered professional engineer in California (mechanical and metallurgical).
Mike retired in 1983 and enjoyed traveling extensively with his wife, golfing at the Meadow Club in Fairfax, Calif., as well as time spent in their Montana home.
Mike is survived by his wife, Barbara Jean, of Corte Madera, Calif. He is also survived by his brothers, Gene P. Fopp and wife, Joan, of Great Falls, and George Fopp, of Visalia, Calif.
His brothers, Aleo (survived by his wife, Myrna) and Albert (survived by his wife, Angeline), predeceased him.
He also is survived by his nieces and nephews and their children, and by his cousins Mario Zandanel and wife, Ada, and Giulio Zandanel and wife, Carmen, and their children in Italy.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. today, Feb. 20, at Holy Innocents Church, 2 Tamalpais Ave., in Corte Madera.
Donations in his memory may be made to Montana Tech, for the Silvio and Barbara Fopp Endowed Scholarship, 1300 W. Park St., Butte, MT 59701-8997, or to Holy Innocents Church, 2 Tamalpais Ave., P.O. Box 5, Corte Madera, CA 94925.