Daniel Lee "Grass" Hopper, 75, of Avinger, Texas, formerly of Henderson County, Kentucky, passed away Tuesday, January 11, 2022, at Lake O' The Pines in Avinger.

Daniel Lee "Grass" Hopper was born on October 22, 1946, the first child of Wallace and Ruby Hopper.  Most knew him only as "Grass," a nickname given to him by his high school football coach at Henderson County, Mojo Hollowell.  An award winning athlete in high school, Danny went on to play college football at Murray State, though he liked to think of himself as an intellectual at heart.  His favorite things were getting lost in a good book, the quiet sound you find on a secluded trail during a crisp fall morning, or the still water on a lake before the first cast.  He was an avid cyclist, outdoorsman, and enjoyed a good debate.

Grass spent three decades as a staple in local nightlife where he tended bar at Henderson's most iconic establishments.  He eventually left nightlife and took to the open road driving big rigs from coast to coast until he retired to Texas on the shores of Lake O' The Pines with his wife, Billye Sue.  He and Billye Sue chose East Texas for its vast nature and relaxed gun laws, but he'd insist he was a Kentucky boy first and foremost.  Whether it was the countless friends he made behind the bar or the miles he covered in the cab of a truck, he was proud of what life had afforded him.  His proudest accomplishment being the family he had grown and loved.  Most knew him as "Grass," but the name that he liked best was "Papaw."  To quote his favorite author Louis L'Amour, "A good beginning makes a good end."

He is survived by his wife, Billye Sue; two children: daughter, Amanda Joyner and her husband, Alan, and son, Joel J. Hopper and his fiancé, Neda Emamjomeh; three grandchildren, Cassady Coomes, Caleb Coomes, and Connor Coomes; and two brothers, Michael R. Hopper and wife, Louisa, and Joel R. Hopper.

Memorial services will be at 4 p.m. Monday, January 24, 2022, at Rudy-Rowland Funeral Home, 604 Center Street, Henderson, Kentucky 42420.  The Reverend Alan Chamness will officiate.

Visitation will be from 2 p.m. until service time Monday, January 24, 2022, at the funeral home.

Contributions may be made to St. Anthony's Hospice, 2410 South Green Street, Henderson, Kentucky 42420.

Online condolences may be made at www.rudyrowland.com .