Justin Matthew Kropff

If you didn’t know Justin when he walked into a room, chances are you would meet him. His smile would draw you in; his conversation would make you feel special and his laugh made you feel like a friend forever. After a hard-fought, courageous battle with cancer, Justin passed away on August 7, 2015. He was just 39.

Justin Kropff was born in Knoxville, Tennessee on February 20, 1976. He became known early on as “Juice,” a nickname he earned on the soccer fields, but one that would stick with him always. Sports had a unique way of shaping who he would become. In Hialeah, Florida in middle school, he gained respect with those sports skills, this time on the basketball courts. When his family moved back to Knoxville, he was a Bulldog. At Bearden High School there wasn’t a friend he didn’t have, or a person he didn’t get to know. He played on several teams, but stood out at basketball. He had so much pride; his class honored him with “most school spirit.”

But Justin bled orange and white. He was a Tennessee Volunteer from the start, selling lineups at football games when he was little. He would go to many of those games in college with his second family, The Flying Burritos. This group of guys was his best friends, his brothers and his heart. They wouldn’t just share Saturdays at Neyland Stadium together, but a lifetime of trips, laughter and memories.

He graduated from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree and landed his first job as a sports anchor and reporter at WVLT-TV right at home in Knoxville. He loved being a journalist and covering the Vols. His energetic personality and inquisitive nature made him shine. He did his job with so much confidence he made it look easy. It was during his time on the anchor desk he’d meet Allison Hunt and as so many have said, his life was changed forever.

They knew more love in nine years than some know in a lifetime. It was full, the kind everyone hopes for, unwavering and unselfish. They lit each other up and enjoyed each other completely. Whether they were cruising the Caribbean, enjoying the Keys or making dinner at home with wine on the balcony, they lived and loved every day.

They were married on April 18, 2009. Justin was out of the tv biz, working for the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce. With a camera in hand, Justin, as always, had a way of getting people out of their comfort zones and laughing and dancing. Allison’s career would move them to Tampa, Florida in 2011, where Justin was excited about the hot weather, sunny skies and a view of the water. Justin would work at The Greater Brandon Chamber of Commerce and eventually go on to create his own production company, Kropff Communications.

Justin is survived by Allison, his wife of six years; grandmother, Peggy Aubry; father, Joe (Laura) Croft; mother Mary Aubry; brother, Brian (Molly) Coffey and three nieces and nephew; and several aunts, uncles, cousins and in-laws who love him dearly. He is preceded in death by is grandmother, Kathleen Long Kropff; grandfather Donald John Aubry, Sr. and uncle, Tommy Kropff.

Justin enjoyed life. He had fun and made sure everyone around him did too. He took time to smell the roses. Justin lived each day with a positive outlook, a kind heart and that infectious smile we will miss so much. But that warmth won’t be far away. It will live on through everyone who had the pleasure of knowing him and every time Rocky Top plays.

Services for Justin will be held on Saturday, August 22, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. at Gonzalez Funeral Home, 7209 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33614. Instead of flowers, Justin wants donations to be made to continue the fight against ocular melanoma. Please consider making a contribution to the “Justin Kropff ocular melanoma Research Fund” at any Fifth Third Bank location, or send donations to 201 E. Kennedy Blvd. Tampa, FL 33602.