Gabriele Hupperich

Gabriele Gisela Hupperich (née Knopp) of Oxford, Michigan passed away unexpectedly on May 12, 2021 at the age of 55.

Gabi  is survived by her husband, Patrick Hupperich; her daughter, Kimberley; her mother, Elisabeth Knopp; her sister, Sabine Isiklar; her brother-in-law, Mustafa Isiklar; and her nephew, Devin Isiklar. She was preceded in death by her father, Heinz-Willi Knopp.

Gabi was born in Koenigswinter, Germany and grew up in the small town of Menden near the city of Cologne.  After graduating from high school, she began her professional education as a medical assistant at a local doctor’s office. During her 15 year tenure there, patients loved her warm and down-to-earth personality.

In 1996, Gabi married Patrick and in 1997 they welcomed their daughter, who became the most important part of their lives.  When they moved to Michigan in 1998, she left family and many friends behind, but never cut the close ties to her home town.  After only a short time, Gabi developed new friendships and made Michigan feel like home for her family.

Gabi rejoined the workforce in 2004 when Great Lakes Athletic Club opened in Lake Orion. As Director of Member Services, she made herself available at any hour to address whatever problem arose. She was appreciated by clients and co-workers alike and became famous for her creativity in designing children’s summer camps.

Her biggest hobby was to support Kimberley in her color guard activities, whether preparing snacks for the local Lake Orion team as ‘Mama Hoop’ in the early years, or later cheering Kimberley on at national championship competitions around the country.

To her daughter, Gabi was a best friend, role model and a constant source of encouragement. Above all, she was the ‘cool’ mom that made age seem irrelevant.  To her husband, she was the strongest woman that any man could have beside him. Gabi selflessly put the well-being of others before her own without expecting anything in return, always offering a smile or a hug. She will be deeply missed.

The family will receive friends for a visitation at Sparks-Griffin Funeral Home, Lake Orion on Tuesday, May 25, 2021 from 4:00 until 7:00 pm. A funeral service will be held and live streamed on May 26, 2021 at 11:00 am at St. Joseph Catholic Church , Lake Orion.  In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Doctors without Borders .