John Loper

John L. Loper of Brandon, MS left this earth to be with his Heavenly Father on December 31, 2024, at the age of 70. He was born January 21, 1954 in Jackson, MS. 

An only child, John was preceded in death by his parents, Hubert Loper and Erma Jean Loper. He is survived by his loving wife of 46 years, Jan Martin White Loper; brother-in-law Ross E. White, Jr. of Sarasota, FL; brother-in-law Albert B. White and his wife Colleen O’Connor White of Madison, MS, and their son, Nelson B. White of Boston, MA; and a host of dear friends, cousins and other extended family. 

John graduated from Mississippi Baptist High School in 1973, and Mississippi College thereafter with a B. A. degree. After college, he joined the family business at Loper’s Produce on Highway 80 in Pearl, MS, which was well known in the community for its home-grown vegetables and blue-plate lunch. John worked there with his parents until becoming a U.S. Postal Service rural mail route carrier, primarily in Rankin County. He retired after many years of service, in 2019. 

John was a devoted Christian and previous member of Pearson Baptist Church, Pearl, MS, before moving to Brandon, and current member of Crossgates Baptist Church, Brandon, MS. In recent years, he developed a great love for cooking and enjoyed making both traditional recipes and creations all his own. John loved his pets. They had recently lost their cat Fluffy of 17 years, and was then recently blessed by his dear friends Brian, Shannon, Emily & Ace Ellis with a new puppy, “little Billy”, that gave him great joy for the last week and a half of his life. Some of his other interests included hunting, bodybuilding, studying Christian literature, art and oil painting. He competed in the Mississippi Bodybuilding Championships in the 1980s and loved to talk about that! Those pictures are priceless. 

I think John will be remembered most for his sense of humor! He would always crack a joke or pick around with you as much as possible, no matter the situation. His love for his family and friends was deep and he cherished spending time with them. Family was very important to him. John loved his wife, Jan! She was the love of his life! He has taken care of, and loved her, for over 46 years. John lived a full life and died unexpectedly of natural causes. He will be forever loved and deeply missed! 

Visitation will be held at Ott & Lee funeral home in Brandon, MS on Sunday January 5, 2025 from 4:00pm-6:00pm, and again on January 6, 2025 beginning at 10:00am with a funeral service directly to follow in the chapel at Ott & Lee funeral home at 11:00am. Interment will be at a later date at Crestview Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Brandon, MS.