John Paul Kloss

Dear John Paul,

In some traditions, passing on your birthday is believed to be a sign of a life well lived — a sign that a person has completed their work here on earth. When we think about the life you lived and the love you gave to all of us, it’s a thought that brings a lot of comfort.

If there is one thing we learned from you, it’s the value of hard work, loyalty, and showing up for the people you love. It feels only fitting that we say goodbye the same way we lived alongside you — with gratitude.  

Thank you for your presence. You were a man whose presence filled every room. To us, and to so many others, you were a true gentle giant — strong, steady, and impossible to miss. Your personality was larger than life.

Thank you for your roots. Harbor Springs was always home. You grew up here, went to school here, played football and baseball here, and built your life here. You shared yourself with this community, and in return, you became a pillar of it.    

Thank you for your work ethic. You were the most stubborn and hardworking man we knew — the kind of person who never hesitated to lend a hand when someone needed help. If something needed fixing, building, or figuring out, you were already halfway there to help. 

Thank you for the home you created for us. You built more than memories — you built the place where our lives unfolded. With your own hands, you built the home we grew up in from the ground up, creating the space where so many family memories began.

Later, you helped Haley and Spencer turn their houses into homes, always willing to give your time and talent. Often the only payment you would accept was a good meal, a baked treat, a cold beer, or a little whiskey.

Thank you for your family. For 35 years, you shared a life with Robyn—a marriage built on dedication and love. Together you created the family that meant everything to you.

You spent countless days hunting in the woods with your son and friends, fishing at the cottage, golfing with your buddies, searching for morels, and doing what you loved most — simply being outdoors. Somehow you could always spot a morel from a mile away.

Thank you for the stories. You were the greatest storyteller we knew. Sometimes they were a little exaggerated — but always told just right to make everyone laugh a little harder.

Thank you for teaching us how to enjoy life. You loved traveling with your family and exploring new places, even if it pushed you out of your comfort zone. As the years went on, even when travel plans were delayed or didn’t go quite right, you were learning to take it in stride and laugh about it later… sometimes. But more than anything, you loved being with your family.

Your strength, kindness, stubbornness, and steady presence shaped us in ways words cannot fully capture.

Thank you for the work you poured into our lives, the lessons you taught us, and the example you set every day. 

Rest easy, big guy. We’ll take it from here.

Robyn (Haley, Alex, Spencer, Jordan, Henry); Nate (Shawn, Devin, Geoff, Rowan, Sybil, Morgan, Taiki, Eleanor, Jun, Linnea, Nick); Dana (Tracy, Caiden, Griffen); Joan (Corey, Derek, Kyle); Brenda (Aubrey); and Maria (David James, David James Jr.) — with love.

A celebration of life will be planned and announced at a later date.