Ryan D. Jopek

Friday, August 04 2006 @ 05:05 AM EDT

WSAW -- Merrill is again mourning the death of an area soldier, the second in less than three months. 20-year-old Army Specialist Ryan Jopek was killed Tuesday by a roadside bomb. Family and friends expected him finish his tour of duty and be back home in just a few weeks.

Alison Struve shares thoughts and memories from those who knew him.

"I don't think you'll ever find a kid in school that did not like him, that didn't think good things, think highly of him," says Tom Andreska, who coached Ryan on the basketball team.

When Ryan moved to Merrill from Kansas before his junior year, Tom Andreska immediately liked him, and says although he wasn't a starter - he brought a lot to the team.

"he contributed a lot, off the court, team chemistry, things like that. The guys liked him being around," Andreska says. Merrill Police Chief Neil Strobel says everyone liked to have Ryan around.

"Ryan had the unique ability to make you feel like in a very short period of time, like you were one of his best friends," says Strobel. His son was good friends with Ryan.

One of Ryan's friends says he didn't have any problems meeting people when he moved to town. Some of his friends already stopped by the high school to create a memorial for him, in the colors of his favorite team, the Chicago Bears. And everyone loved to see him play basketball.

"If it'd be getting close to the end of a game, and it'd be one-sided... You'd start hearing some of the people in the stands, they'd start cheering, 'Jopek, Jopek," Andreska says.

"Jopek, Jopek, because they wanted to see him get into the game," Strobel.

"When he got in, everybody would give a big cheer... because he was such a well-liked kid," Strobel says. "Everybody liked him."

"The type of young man every dad would want as their son.... it's sad that he's not here," Strobel says.

Ryan Jopek was planning to continue his education at UW-Marathon County this fall. His mother says he wanted to be a park ranger.

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