Roy J. Poppe

ROY J. POPPE

Cedar Rapids

Roy J. Poppe, 53, husband of Ayse and Baba (Dad) of Hannah, Marlena and Benjamin, died peacefully on Sept. 22, 2020, with his family by his side at the Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy, Hiawatha, after a long battle with colon cancer. Memorial Service: 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020, at Stewart Baxter Funeral & Memorial Services, Cedar Rapids. Visitation: 9:30 a.m. Saturday until the service time at the funeral home. Masks and social distancing are required during the visitation and service. Friends and extended family are invited to watch the services via livestream on Facebook. Search for and join the Remembering Roy Poppe Facebook group for more information.

Roy James Poppe was born Jan. 15, 1967, at the Floyd County Hospital in Charles City, Iowa. He was the youngest of seven children of Edmund S. and Alma (Hemmerich) Poppe. He was baptized and confirmed at St. John's Lutheran Church in Nashua, Iowa. Roy graduated from Nashua High School in 1985. He joined the Air Force in December 1985 and left for Keesler Base in Biloxi, Miss. The Air Force became his career and he was stationed abroad 16 of his 20 years of service. Some of the countries he lived in were Germany, Italy, Turkey, England and Arabia, as well as Missouri and Washington in the United States. While stationed in Turkey, Roy met Ayse Tabak. They were united in marriage on Dec. 18, 2002, in Adana, Turkey, having a taxi driver as the witness to their union. They were blessed with three children, Hannah, Marlena and Benjamin. Roy retired from the Air Force in 2006 and they moved to Cedar Rapids, where he worked for Windstream until 2016. Roy was a loving husband and Baba, and great friend to many. He learned to drink beer in Germany and never would drink cold American beer, preferring Jack Daniels (except he did enjoy a good PBR). Roy loved to travel and had traveled to 47 of the states, as well as 20 different countries.

Roy is survived by his wife, Ayse; three children, Hannah, Marlena and Benjamin, all at home; siblings, Calvin (Nancy) Poppe, Nashua, Sharon (Kenneth) Pinter, Mundelein, Ill., Glen Poppe, Nashua, Gary (Rhonda) Poppe, Ionia, Beverly (Jim) Haeflinger, Alta Vista, and Joanne (Larry) Tupper, Ionia; many extended family and friends in Turkey; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be directed to the family to be used for the kids' college fund.

Please share your support and memories with Roy's family on his tribute wall at www.stewartbaxter.com under obituaries.