James John Kropp

James John Kropp, age 59, of Prior Lake, MN passed away on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, after a full, vibrant life and a hard battle with cancer. 

His life was defined by unwavering faith and fierce dedication to his family. Visitation will be held from 4:00 - 7:00 PM on Tuesday, June 2, 2026 at Ballard-Sunder Funeral & Cremation, 4565 Pleasant St SE, Prior Lake, MN 55372. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, June 3, 2026 at St. Catherine Catholic Church, 4500 220th St E, Prior Lake, MN 55372. Father Michael Miller will preside. James will be laid to rest at Sacred Heart Cemetery in Fried, North Dakota.

In 1967, he was born in Jamestown, North Dakota to Clifford and Mary Ellen Kropp. He was raised on the family farm, where he grew up with a strong work ethic and a compassionate heart. In high school, he was an amazing student and athlete, captaining his ice hockey team and winning the state championship in track in the 400m race.

In 1985 he travelled on to Troy, NY for college, where he played Division I ice hockey for Rensselaer Polytechnic University. While there, he met his soulmate, Kathleen Daube. It was love at first sight, and that love just kept growing stronger over the next 40 years. They married in 1993, moved to Chicago and built a beautiful life filled with faith, laughter and the joyful chaos of raising six children.

In addition to an electrical engineering degree from RPI, Jim received his MBA from the Wharton school of business in 1993. His time there brought out his entrepreneurial spirit and defined his life’s work. He founded several successful small businesses in the healthcare technology space, and each of the kids and Kathleen worked alongside him at some point. He loved the challenge of finding a way to solve a problem and forming it into reality. His discipline and creativity shone bright every day, along with his incredible ability to communicate and persuade.

Jim was the cornerstone of his family. He loved his work and worked hard, but always made time for what mattered most. He rarely missed one of his children’s sporting events, school activities, or milestones. He loved nicknames and gave creative ones to each of his kids: Mikaela Elise “Conchita”, Nikolas John “Tricky Nik”, Ryan James Trafari “Baby Fat Boy”, Greta Maria “Sweet G”, Siena Reagan Elizabeth “Biena Bieu”, and Shane Hawken “The Deusk”.

Jim’s favorite sport was ice hockey and all six children played. Jim loved coaching them both on and off the ice. Every October he enjoyed pushing the limits of backyard rink building to give his kids the biggest sheet possible. Early mornings before school, no matter how cold, he had one or more kids out on the ice in their pajamas, working on skills.

He passed on a love of physical challenges to all of the kids. Saturday morning meant family trips to the gym; Thanksgiving morning meant hill sprints on the sledding hill; road-trip gas stops meant skater jumps and “lungies” in the parking lot. He taught them to hunt on the Kropp land in North Dakota, where all found a short escape from the world. It was out there that he found the perfect duet with his faithful hunting companion, Venator.

He did not get the chance to be a grandfather, but he would have been a great one. His incredible energy was infectious and he loved to play, teach, and have fun. To his nephew’s kids, he was the terrifying (and thrilling) “Apple Dim” – a very sweet mispronunciation of Uncle Jim.

He was a stalwart and energetic friend, always up for an exotic fishing trip or a weekend at the lake. He was clever and hilarious, and he always found a way to get the whole room laughing with a great story. He was intentional and caring, and he acted when he saw anyone in need.

He lives on in each of his six children. He taught them the value of honesty, hard work, and kindness, and was the ultimate role model for a life well-lived. His example of how to lead and guide, to be tough and kind, and to have gratitude and faith will guide them throughout their lives. He will be greatly missed every day until we meet again.

Jim is survived by wife of 32 years, Kathleen; children, Mikaela (Matthew) Pearce, Nikolas (Isabella Gonzales) Kropp, Ryan Kropp, Greta Kropp, Siena Kropp, Shane Kropp; parents, Mary Ellen and Clifford Kropp; sisters, Victoria (Rick) Simonson and Stacy (Jean-Guy) Berube; beloved hunting partner, Venator; and many other loving family and friends.