Bryan Hopper Obituary, Death- Bryan Hop, also known as Hopper or Mr. Hop, lost his heroic battle with cancer on Thursday, May 18th, in the presence of his loved ones.
He was conceived on September 25, 1966, in New Richmond, Wisconsin, to Jo and Bruce Hop. He spent a lot of his greatest childhood summers in Forest River, North Dakota, playing baseball and football with his cousins and friends. He continued his education at the University of Minnesota and worked as the football team’s trainer after leaving New Richmond High School in 1985. Additionally, he worked in the Fairview Riverside rehab center, where he met Gwen, the love of his life.
On August 28, 1993, Bryan and Gwen were united in marriage. They enjoyed traveling and antique hunting, and they even had a spot in a shop in Prescott, Wisconsin where they could sell their finds. Their largest “antique,” a stunning old house erected in 1916 on North Starr Avenue in New Richmond, was the one they bought in 1995. Their three children, Jack, Russ, and Anna, who were his pride and delight, were nurtured in this home.
He never missed a chance to cheer on his children in their academic and athletic endeavors, as well as in sports like cross-country, baseball, football, basketball, tennis, and tennis. He frequently crammed extra people into his minivan to make sure everyone could attend! Bryan also loved taking family vacations, especially to the Caribbean for snorkeling and to drive to see family in North Dakota and Montana.
Following his graduation from Concordia University, Bryan had a variety of occupations, including selling vehicles at Bernard’s Northtown and serving as a human resources specialist.
Despite enjoying his time with his coworkers, he felt compelled to return to UW-River Falls in 2004 to complete the requirements for his master’s in education. He had been a well-liked teacher in New Richmond for the last 17 years. His distinctive teaching approach, which went beyond the fundamentals and included pen pals with older members of the community, adopting families in need at Christmas, and teaching his students how to play cribbage, was a reflection of his prior experiences and compassion for others.
Bryan made a special effort to assist people and never asked for anything in return. He always wanted to serve people, whether it was by serving food at holiday dinners, assisting nearby families in need, providing young drivers with behind-the-wheel training, or stopping by the side of the road to help strangers.
He cherished spending time with his loved ones, playing cards with neighbors and friends, hunting for bargains at garage sales, exploring state and national parks, and trying out new disc golf courses. He will be remembered for his unfailing concern for others, his ability to see the best in everyone, his suggestions for the most recent wonderful book he read, and his never-ending supply of dad jokes and puns.
