The Lengthy Island man allegedly shot to loss of life alongside his girlfriend by her jealous ex-husband was remembered at his Tuesday funeral as somebody who cherished his children, the health club and sports activities — and died making an attempt to guard the girl he cherished.
Lots of of mourners packed St. Elizabeth’s Church in Melville to weep for Kenneth Pohlman, the 53-year-old father-of-three who died final Wednesday when deranged gunman Daniel Coppola murdered him and the “love of his life,” Kelly Coppola, inside their St. James dwelling simply earlier than midnight.
“Kenny, I’ve written you three poems earlier than / every one was a poem of pleasure,” his devastated mother Dorothy stated, reciting a poem to her son in a heartbreaking eulogy. “This one has a special twist / how do I say goodbye to my first child boy?
“I’ve so many reminiscences of you / I don’t know the place to begin / however as many as there are / they may by no means fill the outlet in my coronary heart,” she learn. “You had been so happy with all of your youngsters / while you spoke of them / you’ll beam / now, by the hand of a monster, you had been taken / all I need to do is scream.”
Dorothy’s stated her son cherished sports activities and he met his childhood sweetheart and eventual spouse, Kim, when his household moved to Brentwood.
The couple had two youngsters collectively — Brianna and Tyler — earlier than Kim died of most cancers in 2006.
Pohlman dated different ladies through the years, and had one other daughter in 2009 however his relationships had been by no means “proper” — till he met Kelly, stated Pohlman’s dad, Kenneth, Sr.
“They had been soulmates,” Kenneth stated. “Individuals saved calling them boyfriend and girlfriend. They weren’t boyfriend and girlfriend. You’d go of their home, they had been in love.
“And my son — and anyone who performed soccer or baseball [with] Kenny [knows] — his final act in his life was selfless, making an attempt to guard the girl he cherished … my son was a hero.”
The double-murder has shocked the quiet North Shore city, which the Wall Road Journal as soon as described as a “quaint and historic hamlet” the place individuals know one another’s names, birthdays and every thing else about one another.
Authorities say Daniel Coppola busted into the couple’s $1.1 million dwelling and gunned down Pohlman and his ex in a hallway.
“Whereas they had been in a state of undress, he fired on them with a semiautomatic handgun, taking their lives,” Assistant District Legal professional Eric Aboulafia stated in court docket.
Coppola allegedly instructed his terrified daughter — whom he’d lured out of the identical home with a textual content message — that he’d simply killed the couple, then left.
Cops arrested him at his own residence in St. James, then pressured him right into a psychological well being analysis after he talked about committing suicide.
The district legal professional stated the gun-wielding madman admitted to killing the couple.
He’s been held with out bail since his arrest.
Members of the family stated Daniel Coppola had been abusive and a “maniac” towards his ex-wife.
He had additionally typed out letters that detailed his depraved causes for the murders, together with blaming Kelly for monetary woes, the prosecutor stated.
However Kelly discovered endless happiness as soon as she met Pohlman, in accordance with her father John Patton.
“The enjoyment radiated round her, she was smiling on a regular basis and to have this occur is such a tragedy,” he stated. “I can not even communicate — my entire household, his household, the sorrow we’re feeling is overwhelming. I simply can’t recover from this.”
Pohlman’s household is equally heartbroken.
At his funeral, his brother, Tom, recalled how he would all the time poke enjoyable at his health club rat brother each time they noticed one another.
“There would usually be lengthy intervals of time with out seeing one another,” Tom, who lives in New Jersey, stated.
“Once we did, I’d usually ask Kenny what was improper – what did he harm? Why was it that he hadn’t been going to the health club?” he stated, as if his brother was noticeably dropping muscle.
“In the meantime, he’d been going to the health club seven days every week.”
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