Sophie Koonce passed away of pneumonia on November 26, 2010 at Hospice of the Valley. Sophie was born December 18, 1925 in Landshut Bavaria Germany and came to the United States via Australia, where she learned her English, always being asked if she was from England due to her heavy accent. As she and her former husband separated she was enlarging her vocabulary and music repertoire, living in Fort Wayne, IN, working as a nurse and as an accordionist, playing the cordavox at German supper clubs (Heidelberg, Rhinelander, Big Wheel and the Gerber Haus) in Fort Wayne and the surrounding areas. Moving toMesa, AZ in 1978, she continued with her music until her retirement, playing at HeinrickFelsen’sultra-supper club “The Felsen Haus” in Phoenix. She finished her career doing complimentary shows for many retirement homes in the valley. Sophie is survived by her husband Donald Ray Koonce (AZ), daughters, Gabriella Rousseau(AZ), Marianne Herlihy (WA), Rita Smith (IN), Sondra Powell (AZ), stepson Daniel A.Koonce(IN), son Leslie Gondos Jr. (CA), sisters, Elizabeth (Lisel)Scharf of Germany and Anne Scharf of France. She is also survived by eleven grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren. Private graveside services are to be held at 3:30 PM, December 10, 2010 at Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Sophie’s name to Hospice of the Valley (www.hov.org), 1510 East Flower St., Phoenix, Arizona, 85014.
Celebrating 75 years of serving our community