Slade Loper

What follows may not be the traditional obituary, but it is the kind of thing that he enjoyed and often said he would have wanted for himself, so here goes…

Jeremy Slade Loper, known as Slade, to all that loved him and “the angry mountain on legs” (to the few that didn’t…)  took his final ride into the sunset on the 21st of July, 2022 at his mountain home in Tennessee where he will be met by his temperamental cocker spaniel Kayliss, the second great love of his life.

Slade’s formative years were spent at the knee of beloved grandparents……. fishing master, Guy and his wife, the super-straightforward Sally Strickland…. And world champion chicken meal soup maker, Stella Loper and her husband, Solomon Loper, owner of the “bestest” tractor in the world…especially to a five year old.

Raised by Jerry Loper, a man of irreverent humor and the queen of chicken and dumplings, Ann Herrin and her husband…mega mechanic Carroll.(Jinx) Herrin (as you can tell, food was a repeating theme) and surrounded by his siblings, the he-man toy hating sister, Tonja, head-butting champion Eugene and littlest sister Christine the horse fanatic. And favorite cousin Ben, his fellow Duke of Hazard and hunting buddy… and birthday buddy feral-child cousin Aislinn, then spent a year in Ocean Springs, Mississippi with his favorite world travelers, and very sensible aunt and uncle Benny and Susie, and his cousins, art aficionado Clay and partner in pranks, Shaun.  

After his eventual escape into the Army at 18, and adventures involving comedic parachuting mishaps, random burger sampling sessions all across Georgia, and refusing to take fashion advice from anybody. He eventually returned home after accidentally importing an Aussie artist for a bride and declared her, Fiona Camilla, his first great love. 

They moved back to Nahunta where over the ensuing years they eventually became surrounded by the glorious chaos of an entire tribe of nieces and nephews, Kara, who was constantly terrorized by the pet geese, Jordan…the music aficionado and fellow geek, followed a few years later by motor bike loving Maddison and her two much shorter siblings, Andrew and Donovan and great nieces Paisley, the aspiring fashionista and tiny baby Stella….with the cutest grin on the planet..

After a decade of indentured servitude at Walmart he eventually found his calling and became a truck driver… giving him the opportunity to travel all across his beloved country. He rapidly memorized all the best mom and pop steak and burger restaurants in every “hole in the wall town” in America…having never been blessed with children, he dispensed his wisdom on friends and strangers, fellow bike riders…. and anybody else willing to enter into an intelligent debate with him. He took every opportunity to spend time with the third great love of his life, Lucille the motorbike and generously allowed fellow members of the American legion to bask in her company as well.

And like most well raised God-fearing, corn fed, barbeque chicken eating, big southern boys, he hated being late but never complained during 20 years of marriage about having to hurry up and wait for his wife……

And I am sure that whilst he is patiently “waitin on his woman,” yet again, to eventually join him he will spend his time quietly by a river, reading his books…his comics…listening to every genre of music ….and petting his beloved dog.

He is loved, he is missed…and he will be forever mourned.

In lieu of flowers or gifts, donations may be made to: 
The Gary Sinise Foundation
P.O. Box 40726
Nashville, TN  37204

West-Murley Funeral Home is serving the family of Jeremy Slade Loper.

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