LINCOLN — Former Nebraska State Sen. Lee Rupp wore many hats during his lifetime — Marine, lawmaker, conservationist, lobbyist, volunteer firefighter and faithful member of a Columbus coffee club.

But his friends, including Gov. Jim Pillen, say he would want to be remembered for his service to others.

“He was just one of those guys who gave back. I don’t know where he got that, but he gave and gave and gave,” said long-time friend Jerry Engdahl of Columbus.

Rupp, who served seven years in the Nebraska Legislature, died Sunday. He was 87.

Rupp was born near Monroe, Nebraska, and worked as a fisheries biologist for the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission until 1982, when he won a seat in the state Legislature. In 1989, he resigned to become the director of legislative affairs for the University of Nebraska, a post he held for 11 years.

As a state senator, he supported legislation that involved wildlife and agriculture. Rupp won support for opening a hunting season for elk in Nebraska — a hunt he joked he never got to enjoy because he never was able to draw a permit, Engdahl said.

An avid hunter, Rupp’s dedication to the outdoors led the Nebraska Wildlife Federation to name him “Conservationist of the Year” in 1978 and the Game and Parks Commission, in 2021, to rename a wildlife area south of Monroe the “Lee Rupp Wildlife Management Area.”

He also was a faithful member of the Picket Fence Coffee Club, which meets six days a week at a downtown Columbus cafe, and the OFC, or “Old Farts Club,” a group that holds regular dinner meetings.

Pillen, a life-long friend who grew up near the Rupp farm, posted a statement this week saying that Rupp had a significant influence on his life and his decision to run for governor.

“Lee had a passion for Nebraska. He enjoyed the outdoors, understood agriculture and was deeply committed to preserving our state’s natural resources,” the governor said. “I appreciated Lee’s counsel throughout the years and will greatly miss his friendship.”

Kay Rupp, the senator’s widow, said by text message that Lee would want to be remembered for “his love and pride for his family, his state and his country.”

“And he tried to reflect that by serving others throughout his life,” she wrote.

Former Nebraska Lt. Gov. Kim Robak, who grew up in Columbus, said Rupp was a steady advocate for the University of Nebraska, who never put the institution in a bad light.

Besides his wife, Rupp is survived by two daughters, Lori Hodtwalker and Lisa Brestel, a son, Mark, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

A funeral service is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday at Peace Lutheran Church in Columbus.

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