Terry Lee Loper

1954 - 2026

Terry Lee Loper, 71, of Fairfax, Iowa, passed away on March 23, 2026, at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids. A Celebration of Terry’s life will be held on Sunday, March 29, 2026 at Teahen Funeral Home, with visitation from 12:00 to 2:30 p.m., followed by a sharing of memories at 2:30 p.m.

Terry was born on April 7, 1954, in Freeport, Illinois, to Lester Arnold Loper and Mary Francis (Bouback) Loper.Growing up, Terry held various part-time jobs during high school including one at the neighborhood bowling alley and Microswitch, graduating from Freeport High School in 1972. Driven by his strong work ethic and planning ahead, Terry chose to leave his childhood family home and venture to Iowa to continue his education towards his lifelong career of Tool and Die in Iowa.

Taking a "calculated risk" Terry purchased his first home Cedar Falls and began his career at John Deere. Known for his self-taught craftsmanship and do it right the first-time attitude, Terry spent time remodeling his entire home with his own hands showing he could build or fix just about anything. Surprisingly, this even applied to computers. Terry was adamant to set his children up for success later in life and he knew technology was here to stay so he spent free-time learning how to build them himself.

On February 26, 2005, Terry married Laura Malone, at the Little Brown Church in Nashua, Iowa. Together they built a life centered on family, laughter, and shared memories.

As a man who worked tirelessly in the first half of his life, Terry took the opportunity to retire after 30 dedicated years at John Deere at age 52 to spend time with family, looking forward to the warm weather and when camping could start. He always sought out the best camping spots at least a day ahead of time to ensure the best sunset views. Camp fires, dog walking, and spending time with visitors were the highlights of his summer days. He also took a keen interest in finance and the stock market, studying magazines to make thoughtful investments and always planning for his family’s future. He will be remembered for often reminding those he loved, “Pay yourself first.” 

Terry’s greatest joy was his family. He is survived by his wife, Laura Loper; his children, Ashley Loper and Brady (Joanne) Loper; Laura’s children Chris (Tracy) Cady, Aaron Cady, Jeremy Seaba and Amber Seaba; 12 grandchildren, including Payton, Alexeia, Jase, Ayla, Tyler, Keegan, Harper, Zoey, Lexi, Camren, Chloe, and Caliegh; sister, Mary Ann Loper Bauscher; brother-in-law, Pat Malone; sister-in-law, Marilyn Loper; dog Luna and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Tawny (Loper) Baine and Bonnie Lange; brother, Roger Loper; grandson, Maverick; and his beloved dogs, Bella and all the Cuddles; and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.

Terry will be remembered for his bright blue eyes and a grin which could light up a room and was always present. He took time to enjoy the little things in life like sunsets, fireworks, airplanes and watching trains in his backyard. Terry was a creator of his own joy by making sure he fit in bowling, softball, and playing pool in his younger years and puttering during retirement. The dogs in Terry’s life brought him some of his most joyful moments, with recent years spent at the Fairfax Dog Park with his beloved dog, Luna, and a new community of friends. Above all, Terry cherished teaching others, sharing life lessons, and always putting his family first.

Memorials may be directed to the Cedar Bend Humane Society https://www.cedarbendhumane.org, Fairfax Dog Park (please send funds to the family with the memo “Fairfax Dog Park”), or American Cancer Society https://www.cancer.org/donate