Rick Hopper

Rick Hopper, age 70 of Deerfield. Loving husband of Debra Hopper nee Baier. Adored father of Jason Hopper and Stacy (Daniel) May. Cherished grandfather of Ethan, Kayla, Braxton, Chase, and one on the way. Dear brother of Jerry Hopper, Mark (Tracy) Hopper, and Kevin Hopper. Loving uncle, cousin, and friend to many.

As a young adult Rick enjoyed learning about and working on cars (which he did often in his parents or friend's driveway), camping, and racing his Little Red express. Sometimes on a whim he would drive 5 hours to Mt. Serling Illinois to have breakfast with his grandad Chamberlain and then back home afterwards. He enjoyed driving all over and discovering the backroads, alleys, nooks, and crannies. As a result, he was a human GPS and was always able to tell you how to get back home or avoid traffic. Impressively if he was given your crossroads he would know exactly where you were. He loved to country swing dance and would go out with his brother and friends almost every weekend.

Some of Rick's jobs included auto mechanic, forklift driver, truck driver for multiple companies, and also drove a semi-truck alongside his dad and grandad which he enjoyed.

Rick worked and retired at IDOT as a mechanic and snow bird in the winter for about 20 years. He was great at what he did and passed down his love for auto to his Son. He was known at work to tighten the oil filters so hard that no one could get them loose, not even with a wrench. He could drive and plow snow like no one else could. They often put the newbies with him after they completed snow school because his assigned routes were always "clear and running wet." He took a lot of pride in his work.

In his free time he loved to be on the water and spend time on the Chain of Lakes, and the more the merrier! He was a lover of cars, motorcycles, boats, motors, country music, dancing, cracking jokes, meeting new people, Jimmy Johns, and most of all his family. He would constantly check in to make sure things were running smooth and going alright and wanted to help if not. He was always the first there to help friends and family when they needed it and gave great support to them. He loved to adorn his wife Debbie with beautiful clothes, shoes, and jewelry. He would say he was dressing her for success! He was very thoughtful and a great gift giver. He would put much effort into looking for the perfect gift for anyone special in his life. He would frequently give his daughter Stacy flowers and made sure they were always complete with her favorite one, Lilies.

As a teenager, his son Jason and his friends thought they could outdrive him and get away, but he was always hot on their tail! Never quick to elude the man who used to race in his prime as well. Rick would always joke that he was part "coon hound" and could find someone anywhere, which he proved by tracking Jason down in Wisconsin one time with only a tip of him being in Kenosha by a marina. He spotted Jason's motorcycle and questioned the neighbor before knocking on the door. You can imagine Jason's surprise.

He was strong willed, outspoken, and stubborn to his core. He also loved to be silly and make people laugh. His sense of humor was unmatched. Many can share how funny and kind-hearted he could be or remember a time that his goofy antics stuck out to them.

He will be greatly missed and fondly remembered.

Services Pending.