Terri Darlene Loper, age 69, of West Jefferson, Ohio, passed away peacefully at home on October 31, 2026, surrounded by her loved ones after a courageous fight with pancreatic cancer.
Born on December 29, 1956, Terri was a proud alumnus of Hamilton Township High School, graduating with the class of 1974, and went on to earn her bachelor's degree from Colorado State University in 1982. Terri went on to have a dedicated career as a supervisor for the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) in Columbus, Ohio, from which she later retired.
To know Terri was to know a woman completely devoted to her hobbies and, above all, her family. She loved traveling, getting lost in a good book, and capturing beautiful memories through her love of taking photos. She also had a deep passion for gardening—constantly buying flowers to plant around the house and building beautiful flower beds by hand.
Terri was a cornerstone in the lives of her niece Tara and her great-nieces and nephews. She fiercely supported Tara throughout her entire life, being a part of every single aspect of her journey, and she unconditionally extended that same devotion to Tara's children. She was a major part of everything they did, proudly attending every milestone and event, and anchoring her family in pure, unshakeable love.
Terri was at every event possible for Anthony, Brooklyn, Emry & Grey, including lacrosse, basketball, cheerleading, Taekwondo, volleyball, Sacraments, graduations, and more; there was never an event missed if she could help it. They affectionately called her T, and all their friends called her "Aunt T" as well. For the last nine years, she was the absolute backbone of helping Tara manage Emry and Grey as the youngest two left at home—picking them up from school every day, sitting down to do homework with them, and on any given day, taking multiple kids home from school. Through it all, she made many wonderful acquaintances and lifelong connections from school parking lots, sidelines, events, and activities.
When she wasn't cheering on her family in person, she was passionately rooting for her favorite team. Terri was a massive Ohio State fan who never missed a game. OSU game days were incredibly special to her, spent sharing countless texts and phone calls back and forth with her cousin Skip in Florida as they dissected the game together—a weekly tradition they both always looked forward to.
Terri was preceded in death by her father, William "Bill" Harold Loper; her sister, Cheryl Isaac Ray; her nephew, Justin Christopher Ray; her maternal and paternal grandparents; and many dear aunts, uncles, and cousins.
She leaves behind a deeply devoted family who will miss her every day: her mother, Georgia Darlene Loper; her sister, Patricia Lynn Auer; and her niece, Tara Lynn Becker. Her legacy of fierce love and devotion lives on through her great-nephews and great-nieces, Anthony Becker, Brooklyn Becker, Emry Becker, and Grey Hamandi.
Just like Tara's children, the family dogs were a true highlight of Terri's life; she leaves behind Rye and Tobie (belonging to Tara) and Maggie (belonging to Anthony), whom she loved as her own, always babysitting them whenever the family was out of town, and who loved their Aunt T deeply in return. She is also survived by many dear aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.
Her vibrant spirit, warmth, and unshakeable dedication to her family will never be forgotten.
Visitation will be held at Oliver-Cheek Funeral Home on Thursday November 5, 2026 from 5:00pm-8:00pm.
The funeral will take place at St. Paul The Apostle , 313 N State St, Westerville Ohio 43082 on Friday November 6, 2026. Viewing Visitation will be in the parlor starting at approximately 9:00-9:15 and Funeral Mass will start at 10:30am
Burial will be at Beckett Cemetery in Commercial Point
In lieu of flowers donations may be made in her name to St.Paul Catholic School, 61 Moss Rd, Westerville Ohio, 43082
Full service details and the family guest book are available at Oliver-Cheek Funeral Home.