Brian Kuperus died unexpectedly Thursday, Oct. 23. He was 54 years old.
Born in Zeeland on March 31, 1971, to John and Annette Kuperus, he grew up in Dorr on his parent’s dairy farm and met his wife Cathy when he was in kindergarten at Moline Christian. They started dating 15 years later and were married in 1994, when they purchased their dairy farm in Hopkins. They named their farm Blue Moon Dairy knowing that what they would start together could only happen “once in a blue moon.”
Brian was a dreamer and inventor at heart who inspired everyone around him. His passion and drive led him to become a farmland real estate broker, helping other families chase their own dreams. His creativity and determination also led him and his wife to invent a cattle castration band and start their own company, Zip Bandit.
He approached each day with humor and purpose. His laughter was loud and contagious, his advice steady and wise, and his faith, though quiet, ran deep. One of his more recent quotes was, “Even if you don’t believe in God, God will always believe in you.”
Brian was known for cheesy jokes that somehow never got old, his sturdy presence that made any problem seem solvable, and his ability to put a smile on anyone’s face. Brian was a strong, reliable, and generous man that people leaned on.
Brian is survived by his wife, Cathy Kuperus; and his children, Jackie (Jake) Hunt, Isaac (Abby) VandenToorn, Kelsey (Chad) Niemchick, Becky (Dave) Kuperus, and Hannah (Jeremy) Kuperus. He also leaves behind grandchildren – Lillian, Brooklynn, Addelyn, Shay, Vivian, Trillium, Rowan, Gideon, and Rosalind – and his fur children, Harry and Walter.
He is preceded in death by his father John, and his brother Larry, and he is survived by his mother Annette, his siblings Kalvin (Anne), Don (Kathy), John (Char), Tammy (Larry), Glenn (Michelle), Nancy (Enoch), as well as many nieces and nephews.
Brian’s funeral will start at noon Tuesday, Oct. 28, with two hours’ visitation beforehand, at the Hopkins Community Church located at 2142 128th Ave. A luncheon will follow the service at 2:30 p.m.
