Obituary of Leonard Frederick Gropper III

Leonard (Rusty) Frederick Gropper, III, age 64, of Hawley died Saturday, July 6, 2024. Leonard was born November 6, 1959, in Islip, NY, and was the son of the late Leonard Frederick Gropper II and the late Dale Louise (Lyons) Robinson. He was a Steam Fitter by trade. Leonard, a.k.a. Rusty, was an amazing person with a huge personality. He was always meeting people everywhere he went. He was far from a shy guy. Bringing people together for business adventures, music events and just fun. He got to know so many people in his life and he was always looking to help them to achieve their dreams or to be a part of the puzzle to help someone else's dreams come true. At 17 years old he knew he wanted to promote music and he hosted his first show in Long Island. It was a success. He continued to host music festivals and concerts for the rest of his life. He said that radio was his next adventure and he went on to create the Long Island blues warehouse show with his friend Mark Klein on WBAB FM in Long Island, New York. The show is still in existence today after 28 years and still rocking. He got to know so many musicians and rock stars, and it was a big part of his life. He became partners in the Improper Hamptonian magazine about the Hamptons where he grew up, and that took off all the way from Montauk, Long Island to Manhattan. He loved it. He had a travel writer for the magazine named Bruce Nordstrom, and they have a great story about when they went to Cuba with his dad on his boat. It's just one of hundreds of wonderful stories. His office for the magazine was a castle located out on West Hampton Beach, one of a kind just like my brother. Rusty was not a musician himself, but he was a rock star to so many. He was a wonderful brother and a good uncle, but most importantly a great friend, not to just to his family but to so many others. Rusty was always a dreamer and a lot of his dreams came true. And with his help, many other people's dreams came true. So remember, never give up on your dreams. God bless Leonard, a.k.a. Rusty. He is survived by two sisters: Kerri Gropper-Tucker and Catherine Gropper; four brothers: Keith Gropper, James Gropper, William Gropper and Shayn Robinson; and his step mother, Barbara Gropper. Private cremation was at Lake Region Crematory in Lake Ariel.