John Henry Prokopowicz, Colonel, United States Army (Retired), died on January 28, 2026, in Viera, Florida; his residence since 1999. He was 85.

Born in Brooklyn, New York, on June 23, 1940, John was the first son of John Felix Prokopowicz, a Park Custodian for the City of New York, and Stella (Reperowicz) Prokopowicz, an accountant and Treasurer for the Camloc Corporation.

 John’s early years were spent traveling along the myriad streets and parks of Brooklyn, where he excelled in many sports and was a standout student at Bishop Loughlin High School. At 17, he began his studies at Saint John’s University in Jamaica, New York, and would earn a degree in History in 1962.

 Spurred by a desire to see the world beyond New York’s five boroughs, John enlisted in the United States Army soon after his college graduation. It was just prior to basic training when John asked Joella Anne Geiger to wait for him to return. She would; and he did. They married on October 12, 1963, and would embark on a sixty-two-year journey that moved through multiple States, crossed many continents, and produced three children: John Martin in 1968, Jo-Anne Therese in 1969, and Jeffrey Adam in 1976. John’s and Joella’s love story was one of resolute devotion from which pure joy would eclipse hardships that came from war and illness. Their mutual devotion was the constant focal point at every waypoint, and it remains far beyond his terminus.

 John earned a commission as a Military Intelligence officer after completing Officers’ Candidate School in 1964. He was immediately assigned to Fort Benning, Georgia, from where he would deploy with the Army’s First Cavalry Division in 1965. He first saw combat at the Battle of Ia Drang Valley in November that year, where he assisted in the reinforcement of 1st Battalion, 7th Cavalry at Landing Zone X-Ray. He would deploy again to Vietnam in 1970 as part of an Army Security Agency detachment.

 John’s Army career featured multiple overseas tours to Germany and Belgium, service as a Russian language professor at the United States Military Academy at West Point, command of the 203rd Military Intelligence Battalion at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, and culminating with command of the United States Army Russian Institute in Garmisch, Germany. He is also the mastermind behind the George C. Marshall Center in Garmisch that brought together NATO and Warsaw Pact nations after the fall of the Soviet Union. He retired as a Colonel in 1992. An ardent Soldier amid the Cold War, John was renowned by his peers and subordinates alike for his expertise on all aspects of Soviet military, governance, and culture.

 Following his Army retirement in 1992, John traded his uniform for many business suits and served as a consultant on multiple military-related initiatives throughout the Washington, DC area. This professional consultancy led to his eventual move to Viera, Florida in 1999.

It was in Viera where John and Joella would enjoy their third and most enjoyable act. Finding a community at Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church, they thrived in multiple roles in their parish and found great friends and fellowship throughout. John’s service in the parish’s Knights of Columbus earned the esteem of his cohorts as they elected him to serve as Grand Knight. Their home was furnished to welcome family, friends, and guests. Their Christmas parties were seen as THE social event of holiday seasons; and he appeared happiest when his grandchildren ran around the house and splashed about in his pool. John’s last years were spent among good friends, great family, and superb company. Though laconic by nature, John could sometimes be seen betraying his own terseness by sneaking a smile among the mirth.  His journey ended with ideal contentment.

 John is survived by his wife of 62 years, Joella Anne (Geiger) Prokopowicz; Son John M. Prokopowicz and his wife Fabienne (Sicard) Prokopowicz; Daughter Jo-Anne Prokopowicz Sears and her husband Harry Sears; Son Jeffrey Adam Prokopowicz and his wife Elena Marisol (Nolasco) Prokopowicz; Younger brother Ronald Felix Prokopowicz and his wife Pamela (Philips) Prokopowicz; and Godson Robert Felix Prokopowicz and his Wife Erica (Kendell) Prokopowicz.  “Papa John” will be especially missed by his grandchildren Alexei Misha Prokopowicz, John Nicholas Prokopowicz, John Atlee Sears, Sophia Anne Sears, William Joseph Prokopowicz, and Juliette Rose Prokopowicz.  

John was preceded in death by his parents John Felix and Stella Reperowicz Prokopowicz; his maternal grandmother Frances Jankowska Reperowicz; his paternal grandparents Waclaw and Antonia (Egierd) Prokopowicz; and his godfather Walter L. Prokopowicz.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - John's favorite charity- in his name.

The link is listed below. Thank you.

A Catholic Funeral Mass will be held at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church in Viera. Located at

5655 Stadium Pkwy, Melbourne, FL 32940, on Saturday February 7, 2026. A burial service with full military honors will be held at Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia at a later date.