Death of Ingvar Kopp

31. January 2022

 

On January 13, 2022, we sadly had to say goodbye to Ingvar Kopp, a founding member of ENFSI and father. Ingvar distinguished himself especially in the founding period of ENFSI with his commitment to a community of European Forensic Science Institutes. Partly through his encouragement and support in 1992, he steered ENFSI from a daring idea to the network it is today. He was not afraid to take on the work of chairing the first, provisional board and also demonstrated his dedication in his work as a board member from 2000-2002. But even apart from Board activities, Ingvar has always been at the forefront of spreading and promoting the idea of the European network of forensic institutes. Thus, as head of the Swedish National Laboratory of Forensic Science Linköping, he was active in ENFSI for many more years. We are grateful for the time he volunteered to this good cause and are glad that we were able to appreciate him as our colleague. We mourn with those Ingvar left behind, his relatives and his friends.

4 Comments. Leave new

  • Kimmo Himberg
    8. February 2022 14:08

    What an enormously sad message! Ingvar was the spirit of ENFSI, personalized, for many, many years, a real intellectual, a great scientist and a humanist. Before anything else, Ingvar was a real friend, always kind and supportive. He was a beacon for European cooperation in the field of forensic science, and an example of leadership for many of us younger colleagues.

    On a personal level, the message of Ingvar’s death leaves me into a deep grief. What a pity I was not able to arrange to meet him after his retirement! Every opportunity to talk with Ingvar was always a source of inspiration. When I had just started as the director of the Finnish lab in 1991, Ingvar took the initiative to come to Helsinki to meet me, and it was the start for a long-lasting friendship.

    Rest In peace, Ingvar, my friend.

    Reply
  • Terje Kjeldsen
    18. February 2022 12:58

    I was told this sad message today, and it was a chock to hear that one of the basis of forensics during my time at office both in Scandinavia and in Europe has passed away. When I started my career in the lab Ingvar was the one you looked up to. He was a leading star for a young and inexperienced forensic scientist. My first visit abroad was to SKL where I learned to know Ingvar as a friendly and helpful colleague, and when we started ENFSI together in the early nineties, Ingvar was always supportive. For ENFSI he has been one of the most important persons with his commitment and his realistic and factual considerations when the rest of us got too engaged.
    Through the years he also became a very good friend to me.

    You will be sadly missed.

    Reply
  • Barry Fisher
    16. May 2022 23:34

    I happened onto the ENSFI website and learned of Ingvar Kopp’s passing. He was certainly one of the greats in European forensic science. I first met Ingvar in the 1980s when he attended, along with a few other early founders of ENSFI, at ASCLD meetings hosted at the FBI Academy at Quantico Virginia. Over many informal discussions, often aided by liberal doses of ethanol, several of us American forensic scientists discussed and impressed upon Ignvar and the other European forensic science colleagues present at ASCLD meetings the value of and importance of cooperation and collaboration of multi-forensic science institutions. To a small degree, I suspect those discussions ultimately resulted in ENSFI’s formation. It is gratifying to see how your organization has grown and thrived over the years and to recognize the role Ingvar Kopp played in ENSFI.
    Warm wishes,
    Barry Fisher, Past President of ASCLD, AAFS and IAFS.

    Reply
  • Sheila Willis
    24. May 2022 12:47

    I was shocked to read the sad news of Ingvar’s death when I opened the ENFSI website today. Like many others I considered Ingvar to be an inspiring leading light in Forensic Science particularly in ENFSI. I met him at the first EAFS conference in Lausanne in 1997 and was influenced by him from then on. SKL seemed to have so many things to admire under his direction and I think he nurtured many strong forensic scientists who are influential today. In my world, his name is inextricably linked with FSI as he carried out a review of the laboratory in 2006 and I frequently referred to the Kopp report when seeking resources or reforms.
    Ar dheis de go raibh a anam dilis.
    Sheila Willis

    Reply

Leave a Reply to Terje Kjeldsen Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Fill out this field
Fill out this field
Please enter a valid email address.
You need to agree with the terms to proceed