Former Mayor Dennis Koho who brought Volcanoes baseball to Keizer dies

Public service was Dennis Koho’s calling. Baseball was his passion.

He leaves a legacy in both.

The former Keizer mayor, who was instrumental in resurrecting professional baseball in Salem-Keizer, died Monday at his home from complications of congestive heart failure. He was 67.

His wife, Lori, said he had made great strides since a heart attack and mild stroke in 2016 and was continuing to recover.

School money:Salem-Keizer School Board adopts $1.2 billion budget for 2019-20

The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes will honor Koho's memory during a special pregame ceremony Friday on opening night of the franchise’s 23rd season. Longtime fans may remember him throwing out the first pitch on opening night of the inaugural season in 1997 after landing on the field in a helicopter.

Club owner Jerry Walker called Koho a dear friend and said without him "there would be no Volcanoes Stadium, there would be no Salem-Keizer Volcanoes, and the five Northwest League championships and over 2 million fans that have attended games here since its opening would not have happened …

"The impact Dennis Koho has had on this community and this baseball team cannot be overstated."

Koho was a member of Keizer City Council from 1991 to 1993 before serving three terms as mayor. He returned to the council 20 years after his first stint, serving from 2013 to 2016.

"He couldn't stay away because of his belief in Keizer and his belief in public service," his wife said.

Koho was deeply entrenched in the community, serving on countless boards of directors and staying involved with the Boy Scouts almost up until his death.

"His biggest legacy was how much he believed in public service, how many people he reached out to help, and that he was able to separate personal feelings from politics," Lori Koho said.

Plastic crackdown:Legislature passes plastic bag ban, kills polystyrene container ban

What many may not know is that her husband was a recovering alcoholic for more than 30 years and made himself available as a sponsor to many people struggling to stay sober.

He also mentored future attorneys preparing for the bar exam and was generous with pro bono work. When Koho refused to accept money, clients insisted on repaying him by building him a fence or painting his house. 

"Part of the reason he went to law school was to help family and friends," his wife said. "And he believed money should not be a barrier for access to the law."

Business associates, friends and neighbors paid tribute to him on Facebook this week as not only being "a giant" of the Keizer community but a wonderful human being. One post referred to him as a "kind and gentle spirit" and another as "one of the good guys." Several alluded to his sense of humor and how he brought laughter and joy to others.

"A lot of people respected him because he cared so much about the city," said Rich Peterson, a Farmers Insurance agent in Keizer. "I think that showed through his involvement after his long tenure on the city council and as mayor."

Koho was in his third term as mayor when he had the opportunity to combine his love for the community with his love for baseball.

When Salem passed on building a stadium that would lure the Class A franchise of the San Francisco Giants out of Bellingham, Washington, Keizer stepped in and Koho led the charge to bring back pro baseball to the area.

The Salem Dodgers departed in 1989 because of inadequate facilities and poor attendance.

Support local journalism: Stay on top of community news and the people who live here with columnist Capi Lynn. Become a Statesman Journal subscriber and get unlimited digital access to stories that matter.

Within just a few months after being approached, Keizer City Council committed to selling $3 million in stadium bonds, buying stadium land, and bringing utilities and parking to the venue.

Koho was proud of Volcanoes Stadium, where he always had box seats. Just before the opening of the inaugural 1997 season, he told the Statesman Journal: "On time, under budget. It can happen, even in government."

After deciding not to run for a fourth term as mayor, Koho was unsuccessful in a 1998 bid for the Marion County Board of Commissioners, losing to Patti Milne.

He was employed for about 15 years with the state of Oregon in various capacities before fulfilling a lifelong dream of being an attorney.

He turned 50 in his first year at Willamette University College of Law, where he graduated in 2004. The next year, he founded a law firm on River Road N.

"It was a more expensive mid-life crisis than buying a Corvette," said his younger brother, Scott Koho, who lives in Phoenix, Arizona.

Silverton homes:Developer wins rare reversal from land use board on subdivision

Dennis Koho is survived by his wife, his brother, daughter Dara, son Dax, and five grandchildren. Family members will throw ceremonial first pitches on opening night at Volcanoes Stadium in his honor.

A viewing will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Virgil T. Golden Funeral Home in Salem, and a funeral mass at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Saint Edward Catholic Church in Keizer.

A memorial service also will be held at 9 a.m. June 22 at First Presbyterian Church in Bend, where Koho grew up. That service will be for him and his mother, who died in April. They will be interred at Deschutes Memorial Gardens next to Koho's father and older brother.

clynn@StatesmanJournal.com, 503-399-6710, or follow on Twitter @CapiLynn and Facebook @CapiLynnSJ.