John was (and is) a wonderful, kind and courageous person.

I first met him when John Morton spoke about his study enumerating the brown bear population on the Kenai peninsula. The public meeting was attended by the directors of Alaska Fish and Game and by the State Game Board. I was astounded by the hatred our state officials had toward the bears! They had stacked the room with other bear haters to demand that the excess bears be exterminated. As usual the state didn't have any idea how many of the animals they were managing actually existed, and when Dr Morton proved there were actually twice as many brown bears as they had guessed, they insisted that the "excess" should be slaughtered. The testimony against the bears was hateful and awful. Then John got up to speak. Kindly and eloquently he defended the bears and their right to exist in a room where I was afraid that stating that position would be life threatening. I knew I wanted to stand with him and be on his side.

We had weekly coffee together afterward. He wanted AWA to continue after he left Alaska. He was very concerned that the state wildlife haters would continue to make policy and that it would be unopposed. I agreed to replace him at AWA when he moved. He has been a constant source of great advice and support ever since.

While he especially loved Loons, he also loved all the birds on his lake. I will never forget the story of his neighbors on the lake who bought a power boat and took it out to test it. They roared around the lake for five minutes running over both the Grebe nests John had loved, wiping out the babies. John was distraught. He saw the wife in the grocery store later that week and with great kindness tried to explain how he felt. She just looked at him blankly and said "What's a grebe?" The grebes never returned to his lake.

While his spirit lives on in AWA, we have lost an eloquent spokesman against the ignorance and wasteful destruction of wildlife in Alaska by one of the kindest men I have ever met

I am so sad to learn that John has passed. I worked with John for a number of years on the legal angles of wildlife management, battling the State of Alaska's abject failure to value wildlife for just what they are, and not a commodity to be shot, trapped or bulldozed. He was the early voice of the revived Alaska Wildlife Alliance. I thought I knew John, but we didn't talk much about our past life experiences. I'm surprised to learn that he was a law enforcement officer for Larimer County Colorado, where i grew up and spent the years 1945-1965. I really wish we had just sat down together and talked about how we got to Alaska. Now, sadly it is too late. John, you will be greatly missed.

It breaks my heart to hear about John's passing. He was one of my favorite people, another brother who loved loons as much as I do. I was honored to be able to call him my friend, and since he left Alaska I think of him every time the loons call, every time someone speaks up for wild animals, or shows kindness far beyond others. I know he was happy living here, but also that his last years in Washington were exactly what he wanted. I'm grateful for the years we could share and I will remember him forever. His stories of meeting and loving Peggy were beautiful, and gave me hope for everyone.

My husband Jerry and I were saddened to hear of John’s passing. He and former wife Julie became our very close friends while they lived in Winterset, Iowa. Their girls, Shelly and Mary Jo, are close in age to our oldest daughter, Susan and son, Jim. We have many happy memories of John and family at dinner parties, boating and spending weekends in Okoboji.

Such sad news. I genuinely loved this guy. He was a gentle, kind man who fought hard for wildlife and animals of all kinds. He also often expressed his love for his wife Peggy and family. I will never forget the time spent with him enjoying nature and the outdoors. My life is reduced without him in it. Rest in peace dear friend, rest in peace. I hope your next world is filled with furry, loving creatures.

John and I worked together fighting against Pebble Mine and Alaska's Predator Holocaust. I admired his energy and dedication, as well as his photography, especially of loons. It was Alaska's loss when he moved out of state, but one must admit that Alaska winters are a trifle long. Not all of us are willing to await Sam Magee's fate (cremation) in order to get warm. If Heaven is filled with inspiring environmental challenges, I'm sure John will be leading a charge against at least one of them.

News of John Toppenberg’s passing was very sad for me. We were close . I thank his wife Peggy for her care and effort to make his last few months peaceful and dignified. John was a loyal friend, a great conservationist, and one of the finest human beings I have ever known. He made the world a better place and will be missed.

I was kayaking on a lake the other day and a pair of loons swam toward me. They are such beautiful birds I was memorized watching them and listening to their calls.  I could not help but think of John and the relationship he built with the loons on the lake near his home. He was the kind of guy who loved all animals and treated all people with dignity and respect.  I will forever be grateful for the love he showed me and my family. We entered the family late but he always made us feel a part.  I will miss our political discussions and I will miss his sense of humor. I will miss him. Love you John. 

I remember the first time I met John. I was working at the Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and attended a town hall style meeting where the Refuge explained why they closed the brown bear hunting season. The Refuge cited concerns about the declining bear population, then opened the floor to the public. I sat in the back and listened to the public testimony, most of it angry that the Refuge shortened the hunting season. I was discouraged, it didn't seem like anyone was speaking up for the bears. Then John stood up and spoke in his deep, calming voice. He spoke eloquently about the importance of giving bears a rest, he cited the biological information published by local scientists, and he passionately articulated the benefits of having living bears in the area. I remember so distinctly thinking that the bears would have been proud to have John as their advocate. John used his voice for wildlife, even in a room where he was the minority - he was incredibly brave.

I was lucky to have the chance to talk with John many times throughout the years, mostly about wildlife and our shared passion for protecting it, but also about his move to Washington and the general state of the world. I always thought he'd have a master career in narration, his voice was simply the best. I'll miss his random Facebook video shares about an inspirational animal story, I'll miss sound-boarding wildlife issues off him to glean his wisdom. I think we all miss the passing of such a champion of the voiceless. Thank you John, for everything. You leave impossibly big shoes to fill.

May John's legacy live on in our compassion to our animal neighbors and to each other. 

Wild animals, hybrids & timid dogs tend to shy away from most men. Despite his stature, this wasn't the case with John. I can't say anything more that could adequately describe the soul of this man. Thank you John Toppenberg for your quiet yet fierce advocacy for wild & domestic animals.

John's Spirit came clothed in kindness. He embraced others generously. His peaceful thoughtful nature had a soothing affect on me. His self-deprecation was comically sobering while being thought provoking ever reminding me too never take myself too seriously.
John was the "Real McCoy" alright. No ulterior motive. No hidden agenda. John exemplified the saying "What you see is what you get."
If I could alter something from my past it would be to have met John much earlier in life.
John was the "Genuine Article." He gracefully danced through life with awe and respect for Mother Nature in a childlike manner. I am honored that John and I were friends and am a better man for knowing him. His memory rekindles my Spirit.

It was such a joy to be around John (and you Peggy.) He was such a good man; quiet and unassuming but had an underlying sense of humor that I loved! Steve and I loved being around both of you along with Jennifer. Maybe they’ll toast with a glass of wine around the campfire up there. You have my deepest sympathy Peggy, it’s hard to lose such a great man.

When I think about my step dad John the one word that comes to mind is service. Before I knew John he spent all those years serving people living the in the greater Ft. Collins, Colorado area. It is a tough job working as a homicide detective. But I can imagine John working with families who are going thru unimaginable circumstances with a tender heart and a purpose to find justice for these individuals.  I met John soon after my birth mom Peggy made contact with me. John welcomed me and wife Erica and our young son Nathan into the family with open arms. When I first met John he was a photographer in Alaska and the director of Alaska Wildlife Alliance. He had a passion for wildlife and the environment. His service to the environment was instrumental in bringing awareness to a wide array of environmental issues that was important in Alaska such as stopping proposed drilling in the Artic Wildlife Refuge. 

It is so hard to lose member of our family. But reading posts from friends of John over the years is so comforting. We will miss him immensely, but I know that the lives of my family (Erica, Nathan, Carson, and Kaitlyn) are fuller because we had John as a dad, and grandpa!! 

What a life we had together! Two kids from Des Moines who happened to meet in Ft. Collins and five years later hit the Alcan highway for the Kenai peninsula of Alaska.
We loved our cozy, rustic cabin on the lake and John was never happier than when he was out with his loons. I still remember so clearly the morning he returned and the joy in his voice when he told me the loon parents had left their two chicks with him to babysit while they went fishing! By that time he had spent several years getting the loons comfortable in his presence and ended up having a 19 year relationship with them. I hope to share more memories of life on what John liked to call Loon Lake(AKA Hall Lake) over the next weeks in the Story section.
Peggy

May you rest well and play with the big dogs John! I spent many an event with John and ambassador wolves working to restore predators across the landscape. May your work and dreams carry on. Awwwwoooooooo........

Ed and I always loved John’s visits to Homer. I remember the last time he was here with other family and we sat with the alpacas and the cranes. It was a lovely time.

Working with you on wildlife issues over the years was inspiring. Your dedication and effort to change wildlife regulations to end some terrible practices in wildlife management were difficult and frustrating. But you persevered! I respect all of the work that you’ve done over your lifetime in many different aspects. You are definitely missed and will be remembered. Rest in peace John.

John was a great dude to a young deputy. He was an investigator when we met, and at that time, to a wide-eyed new guy, Investigations was squared away - and JT personified that. I don't know that I ever saw him without a smile on his face. He had a confident yet humble way about him, all these years and miles down the road that will still cross my mind from time to time.

Vaya con Dios JT, the world is a better place for having had you in it.

I remember how happy Peg was when she married John; such a beautiful day. John was a wonderful partner, friend, grandfather, uncle and caretaker of the earth. I will always remember his gentle soul and the love he shared with family and friends. And I'll never forget the photograph of the bear with the flower in its mouth; I still have it framed in my home and it always makes me smile. He took advantage of what nature offers us!

John was, and always will be, a great friend to many of us here in Alaska who worked with him, and benefited tremendously from his efforts to protect Alaska wildlife. He was a tireless advocate for Alaska wildlife, and with his deep booming voice, and towering stature, he commanded more attention from the "bad boys" than many of us :))....Most of all, he was a great guy, and great friend. He will be missed. 

John was a tremendous force for good in the world. His mentorship of the effort to restore wolves to Colorado ultimately bore fruit, years after he left for Alaska. I am ever grateful for his kindness and support, and hope that he transcended this place knowing that Colorado is a wilder place because of him.

Hi Peggy, We haven’t met but my husband John Wintrode who passed three years ago at age 89 and John were relatives somehow. I stayed in touch with Mary Bell for many years.
So sorry for your loss.

I am so sorry to hear of John’s passing.
We were neighbors on Hall Lake in Sterling, Alaska

I will never see or hear the loons and not think of him.

Peggy, we are praying for you and the family.

I met John when I helped him sell his mom's house in Des Moines. Got to spend quite a bit of time with him going through old photographs and magazines that his mom had kept. Great stories, a great naturalist and a very nice man.

A life well lived. Thank you for the light you shone on behalf of all the wild things and those of us who love them.
The world is better because you were here.✨

Went through school with John. Great guy.

John, you were a great investigator, colleague, and friend. You will be missed. God speed my friend!!

This is sad news indeed. What a wonderful guardian of wildlife and the planet you were and I am sure will continue as you fly away home.
My condolence to his family, May you all find comfort and peace during this difficult time.

One understands a soul is special when they can reach across time and space, and call you their friend. If not for Facebook, I would never have experienced such a wonderful human as John. The one great thing FB can do, is connect kindred minds who meet not in person, but in their souls. See you in some great sunrise on the other side John and thanks for being my friend. AJ on Facebook

I knew John when he was a Deputy with the Larimer County Sheriff's Office. His smile, gentle soul and kindness toward others is rembered fondly.

Retired Sheriff Jim Black

I always enjoyed the days John and I spent together during our days in Alaska. I will miss you my old friend, rest in peace until we meet again.

Thank you for all that you did to help our wildlife and make our world a better place. 

So sad to hear of John's passing. He was always such a kind man, and an inspiration with his love of wolves and nature. We know he will be so very missed, and we are thinking of you, Peggy, and the whole family. Our deepest sympathies.

John was a tremendous inspiration to me and my family during our travels with wolves in public educational programs, he was always kind, welcoming and right in touch with the importance of educating the public about our precious earth and its creatures. Rest in Peace John and Thank you!! With love and gratitude, Tracy Ane Brooks

John was such a special person and wonderful neighbor in Sterling and again in Washington. I loved his stories and his love for wildlife. He will be missed.

John was a very dear friend. I have fond memories of all the cases we worked together and of all of our lunches we shared over the years.
John had a wonderful caring heart. He absolutely loved animals!
He had a tame squirrel that he would feed out his office window every day. When John discovered that the poor little thing had been hit by a car he had it cremated and set the urn on his window sill so it could still be close to him.
He once found a momma duck had her ducklings precariously sitting under a tree outside the office. Fearing they would not survive, John loaded up the ducklings in a box and walked backwards, making sure momma duck was following, all the way to the Poudre River to make sure they were safe.
It’s memories like these that will always make us smile when we think of John. We truly admired his advocacy for animals! Our deepest sympathy to his family. We will miss him dearly.
Darrell and Lori Frank