Ronald Hoops

Services for Ronald Roy Hoops, 88, of rural Ferney will be 11:00 a.m., Friday, April 4th at Our Savior Lutheran Church, Aberdeen.  Rev. Chad Schopp will officiate.  Services will be live streamed through the church website.  Burial will follow at Union Cemetery, Groton under the direction of Paetznick-Garness Funeral Chapel, Groton.  

Visitation will be held at the funeral chapel on Thursday from 5-7 p.m. and on Friday from 10-11 a.m. at the church before the funeral. Service will be live streamed on the Our Savior Lutheran Church Facebook page.

Ron passed away March 25, 2025 at Avera McKennan Hospital in Sioux Falls.

Ronald Roy Hoops was born on September 19, 1936 in Ferney to Roy and Helena (Bahr) Hoops.  He attended school in Groton where he excelled in basketball, football, track and baseball.  Ron and his brother were part of the Groton baseball team that won the Junior Junior State Championship in 1951. Ron graduated in 1954 and began work as a lineman at James Valley Co-op.  He married the love of his life, Maralyn Richardson, on August 11, 1957 in Groton.  Together they were blessed with four children.  Ron later began doing accounting for James Valley until his retirement in the late 1980’s.  During all these years, he was also actively farming near their home outside Ferney. 

Ron was a passionate sports fan for all of his life.  For many years, he would videotape Groton High School basketball and football games with commentary and broadcast them on the local access channel at James Valley.  He was an avid Minnesota Vikings and Twins fan. He and Maralyn held Viking season tickets for many years and never missed a home game regardless of the weather.  Later, they followed Northern State Wolves basketball with the same intensity.

Ron had the same passion for his faith as he had for sports. He was always very active in his church in positions of leadership and was ahead of his time pioneering the “streaming” of church services on the local access channel. He and Maralyn were involved in Lutherans For Life, manning the Brown County Fair Booth for many years. He also purchased a trailer and created the Witness of the Crosses mobile display that is still in use today. Following his son’s injury, Ron became a strong advocate for victims of traumatic brain injuries.  He started the Aberdeen Area Brain Injury Support Group that later influenced others around the state and even extended outside of South Dakota. He served as the chairman of the South Dakota Freedom to Work Leadership Council which advised and influenced state legislators and policy makers regarding those affected by brain and other injuries. 

Celebrating his life is his wife, Maralyn of Aberdeen, his children, Kyle (Cindy) Hoops of Cedarburg, WI, Karleen (Scott) James of West Chester, IA, Kolin (Abby) Hoops of Denver, CO, Kelly (Neile) Hoops of Sturgis, eight grandchildren: Kayla (Aaron) Waller, Tyler (Gabby) Hoops, Blake James, Ashlee James, Becca Dhliwayo, Gwen Hoops, Owen Hoops, Liam Hoops and five great-grandchildren. Ron is also survived by his siblings, Delores “Dodie” Neumann, JoAnne (Henry) Elsing, Berdeen “Deenie” Fingerlin, and Darold “Darry” (Karen) Hoops.  

Preceding him in death were his parents, sister, Betty Jean Jensen and three brothers-in-law, Marion Jensen, Duane Neumann and Henry Fingerlin.

Memorials may be directed to Lutherans for Life.

Casket bearers will be grandsons Blake James, Tyler Hoops, Owen Hoops and Liam Hoops, grandson-in-law Aaron Waller and son-in-law Scott James.

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