74.7 F
Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeCommunityDeathsCelebration of Life Planned for Tina Marie Koopmans

Celebration of Life Planned for Tina Marie Koopmans

Tina Marie Koopmans died on July 1 in Orlando, Fla.

Tina was born to Duayne and Shirley Herb in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Nov. 10, 1965.

She grew up in Cedar Rapids with an older brother and a younger brother and had the curiosity, enthusiasm and adventurous spirit you would expect from a middle girl child sandwiched between brothers.   From an early age, that adventurous spirit gave Tina a desire to travel.  The destination did not present itself early, but she continued onward with a travel goal in mind. 

Tina graduated from Washington High School in Cedar Rapids and then continued to the University of Iowa where she earned a bachelor’s as well as a master’s degree in library science. This she did while working full time at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids.  Tina’s drive and goal driven style led her through these years of simultaneous study and work. 

After graduation, she continued her work at Kirkwood and began dating the man who would ultimately prove to be the love of her life, Kyle Koopmans.  Tina and Kyle completed each other, eventually marrying in fabulous Las Vegas in 1998.  Their relationship never stopped growing. They continued to support each other and were a model couple to others. 

Kyle and Tina moved from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to Glenwood Springs, Colo., in 1999 for Tina’s new job as chief information officer (CIO) at Colorado Mountain College through CampusWorks Inc.  

In 2005, after spending six years in Colorado, Tina and Kyle moved to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, where Tina was hired again as CIO, now at the University of the Virgin Islands.  She would ultimately progress to the position of vice president for information services and institutional assessment. 

Tina poured her heart and soul into many projects at UVI.  She made a lasting impact on the university, most recently leading the school’s re-accreditation effort.  Her leadership guided UVI to the most impressive accreditation experience and result ever experienced at the school.  She also led the charge to institutionalize assessment throughout the institution.  She was the fearless leader of the information technology staff, who will miss her dearly.

The little girl from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who wanted to travel, made her dreams come true. From that initial move to Glenwood Springs, Colo., Tina eventually traveled to Egypt, Italy, Greece, Rhodes (Greek island), Turkey, Alaska, Paris, Bermuda, Portugal, Spain, Mykonos (Greek island), as well as many other Caribbean islands, all with the love of her life and the driver of her spirit.

Tina is survived by her husband, ­­­­Kyle Koopmans of St. Thomas, U.S.V.I; her parents: Shirley and Duayne Herb; her brothers: Jerry Herb and Richard Herb; sisters-in-law: Pauline Herb and Kandi Herb (all of Cedar Rapids, Iowa); brothers-in-law: Kevin Koopmans of Ogden, Utah, and David Koopmans of Ankeny, Iowa; sisters-in-law: Diane Koopmans of Ogden, Utah, and June Koopmans of Ankeny, Iowa; as well as other relatives, colleagues and friends too numerous to mention.

A celebration of her life will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, July 14, at the ACC Building on the UVI St. Thomas campus. It will be video conferenced to Rooms 102 and 103 in the North West Wing on the St. Croix campus.

In memory of Tina and her free spirit, attendees are asked to wear beach attire (shorts, flip flops, etc.).

Arrangements were handled by Good Life Funeral Home in Orlando, Fla.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.