Richard "Rich" Thomas Popchock

Richard “Rich” Thomas Popchock; age 80; of Oxford; passed away July 27, 2026. Born on August 11, 1945, in Detroit, Michigan, he was the son of the late Andrew and Jessica Popchock.

Rich is survived by his wife Nancy (Genta) Popchock of 53 years and his two sons, Kenneth and Thomas. He is the loving uncle to 17 nieces and nephews. Rich was the youngest of five children. He is preceded in death by his siblings, Bob, Connie, Arline and Ronnie, who are all waiting for him in heaven.

Rich met Nancy August 29, 1970 on a camping weekend at Island Lake State Park in Brighton. A little over two years they married on October 6, 1972, and honeymooned in a tent.They raised two great sons, Kenneth and Thomas. Rich loved to camp with his family and became a scout leader for a few years while his boys were growing up. He loved to ride rollercoasters at Cedar Point, and usually went there every summer. Kenny and Tommy each brought a friend to make the outing even more fun for them.

Rich served in the Army and was stationed in Germany for most of his military service. He had a bachelor’s degree in Engineering and spent his career in the Automotive field. He could fix anything but a broken cookie.

He started flying model airplanes at around 12 years old, a hobby he continued throughout his life. Rich was known as the “Corn King”. He loved roasting corn over a wood fire and had corn roasts for over 20 years. He played racquetball and bowled on a church league. While he was relaxing in his recliner, Rich also enjoyed watching Matt’s Off Road Recovery, BattleBots and Jeopardy.

Rich rode a Harley motorcycle and was a member of the Hog Chapter, Legion Riders and Patriot Guard Riders. He made many trips to Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly as well as other local cemeteries. He enjoyed riding his Harley all the time, even to work and back. Rich rode out to the Black Hills Rally in Sturgis, South Dakota several times. He liked to fly control-line model airplanes and especially liked the friends he met with both bike and airplanes. He was not musically inclined but was very supportive of Nancy’s music, which included Community Band, handbells and church choir. Rich also supported her several year canary breeding hobby. He was happy to build breeding and flight cages. As an engineer, he was exact and always did them perfectly.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, August 5, 2026 from 4:00-8:00 p.m. at Sparks-Griffin Funeral Home in Lake Orion. Funeral Services will take place on Thursday, August 6, 2026 at 11:30 a.m. at Lake Orion United Methodist Church in Lake Orion, with visitation from 10:00 a.m. until the time of service.