Frederick "Fred" Raymond Zopff

Frederick Raymond Zopff passed away February 25, 2026 in Englewood, Colorado. Fred was born April 8, 1954 in Cincinnati, Ohio, the first son of Eileen (Hogan) and John S. Zopff. As he was the first grandchild on both sides of the family, his proud parents named him for his two Grandfathers, J. Frederick Zopff and Raymond W. Hogan.

Fred grew up in Mason, Ohio during a time when everyone knew your name. It wasn’t always easy being the son of the local Municipal Court Judge. In his younger days, he played Kiwanis Knothole baseball, freshman football, and was an active member of the local Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts which led to an interest in electronics, wood carving, and exploring the outdoors. As the first grandson on both sides, he spent a lot of time with his Grandpa Zopff learning how to change the oil and replace and adjust the clutch on his own vehicles.

Fred learned to play the guitar as a teenager and became proficient in both acoustic and electric styles. We have many memories of him playing his amplified electric guitar upstairs at our house on Western Row Road (and our parents yelling up the stairs to “turn it down!”). Fred collected, repaired, and built many guitars through the years. At his death, his collection included 23 stringed instruments.

Fred moved to Denver, Colorado in 1974. Although his parents didn’t approve of what he was doing, he felt he could move to Denver and start a band and “make it big.” He did not have the skills required to be successful with that dream, but he had the skills to make lifelong friends, and he did so with many folks in Denver who considered him part of their extended family. If he decided he liked you, he would do anything he could to help you out, and he was quite gifted with using his hands to make and fix things, as all of his Denver friends learned over the years.

He worked various jobs to make ends meet, and eventually became an ASE Certified Master automobile mechanic and worked for many years for Goodyear, Midas, and Discount Tire. Fred was always willing to lend a helping hand to make life easier for other people whether it was repairing a car for one friend or fixing the plumbing or a broken door for another. His friends knew they could count on him to help with needed repairs, and although they tried to repay the favor they always felt he helped them way more than they helped him.

He was humble regarding his music. “I do enjoy picking up the guitar and making some noise with it. I just don’t know if anyone else wants to hear it.” Fred was a colorful character that marched to the beat of his own drum and lived life on his own terms, and we are all grateful to have had him in our lives as a brother and uncle.

Preceded in death by his parents John and Eileen Zopff, Fred is survived by sisters Jane Zopff, Ellen Zopff Todia (Dave Matthiesen), brother Tom Zopff (the late Peggy Hooker), and nieces and nephews Christian Zopff, John Todia (Echehan), Elizabeth Zambory (Eric), Patrick Zopff, Maureen Prikkel (Nate), Michael Zopff, Kathleen Zopff, and Jimmy and Sarah Matthiesen.

Celebration of Life will be on April 7, 2026 from 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM at American Legion Hall 401 Reading Road Mason, OH 45040