Don Loper is known by most in the Santa Ynez Valley as a minister of comfort and reassurance during the darkest of hours.  As Director of the Loper Funeral Chapel, he has walked beside countless families who have lost loved ones during the early stages of the grieving process.

Don and his family moved to the Santa Ynez Valley from Van Nuys when his Dad was transferred within the CHP.  Don’s mom worked as a telephone operator and later with the Santa Ynez Valley Water District.  Upon their retirement in the mid 1970’s, Don’s parents started the Loper Funeral Chapel.

The couple raised their two sons to be faithful church-goers and attended First Baptist Church, but they themselves were never believers. Tragedy struck the Loper family shortly after they moved to the Santa Ynez Valley when Don’s older brother Frank was killed as a passenger in a car accident on Highway 246 near Janin Acres.

Don received Christ as a college student at Westmont.  He worked at the family funeral chapel, married his wife, Sherry, in 1977, and they went on to raise their seven children in the Santa Ynez Valley.  Don retired to Idaho in 1999 and ministered to Sherry throughout her battle with cancer.  When Don’s father passed away in 2000, Don came out of retirement and commuted back and forth to the valley to help his mom run the funeral chapel.  When Sherry passed away on September 2, 2002, Don and the family returned to the valley and full-time service at the Loper Funeral Chapel.

Community Church of the Santa Ynez Valley originally met at the Ballard Country Church on the Loper property. Don met Blain back then while Blain was still in seminary in Southern California and was being called to ministry in the Santa Ynez Valley.  The Lopers attended the early Community Church for some time before Don served as a preaching elder for small congregations in Solvang and Ballard that developed into churches.  Don and his family have been a permanent part of the Community Church of the Santa Ynez Valley fellowship since they moved back to the area from Idaho.

Don’s sons, John, Jacob, David, and Peter still live at home.  The youngest, Peter, just started his junior year at Charter Academy in Solvang.  David graduated from high school last year and he, Jacob, and Peter are taking classes at Alan Hancock College.  His daughters, Amanda and Jenny, and Jenny’s 3 children, live near family in Post Falls, Idaho.  The oldest son Timothy lives in San Bernadino and is doing tech work. 

At this time, the Lord has been teaching Don patience as he meets the challenges of being a single provider for the 4 boys at home, cares for his mother, and runs the family funeral chapel.  He is praying for his family and his extended family, that they will grow to know Christ as their Savior.  His life verse is Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.”

 Interviewed by Anjie Park