FARGO - Friends and family of Sgt. Bryan Opskar say the Marine from Moorhead, Minn., lived life at a fast pace. He liked to ride motorcycles in the summer and snowmobiles in the winter.

"He liked action," said Opskar's younger brother, Chris. "He was always the guy to keep the party going."

Opskar, 32, a native of Princeton, Minn., was killed in Iraq on Saturday when a roadside bomb exploded. A military spokesman said he was conducting combat operations near Ar Rutbah, Iraq.

"It's a pretty down day in Princeton," said Susan Bartholomew, a longtime family friend.

Opskar was engaged last Thanksgiving and married on New Year's Eve to Leandra Dougherty of Fargo. The two of them knew each other for 12 years after working together at a local grocery store.

"He had me at paper or plastic," Leandra said.

"We only had seven months together," she said of their marriage. "I wouldn't trade those seven months for anything."

Family members spent Monday going through pictures and reliving memories. They brought out a display of family photos that was put together for the wedding.

"He would hate this, by the way," Leandra said, pointing out pictures.

Opskar, a member of the 2nd Marine Division out of Camp Lejeune, N.C., enlisted in the Marines in 1998. He joined his unit in March 2004 as a commander on a light armored vehicle. The unit patrolled major supply routes looking for explosives.

Opskar phoned home earlier that day to talk to his wife, but she missed the call. He left a message.

"He said he couldn't wait to get home and he would talk to me later," Leandra said.

Opskar received more than a dozen military awards, including the combat action ribbon and two good conduct medals, a military spokesman said. He also was selected for a special Army training class as a master gunner.

"He loved being a Marine," said his mother, Betty.

Opskar was an avid outdoorsman who loved to hunt, fish and golf, family members said. He owned two Harley-Davidson motorcycles, his wife said.

"I think what I'll miss most about him are his smile and his giggle," Leandra said.

Opskar was born Feb. 14, 1973, in Princeton. "He was my Valentine," Betty said. He started playing hockey when he was in first grade, a passion he would continue into college.

He graduated from Princeton High School in 1991. He participated in junior hockey for two years before joining Concordia's team in 1993, playing for two seasons.

Concordia head coach Steve Baumgartner called Opskar an overachiever who led by example.

"He had a good work ethic and good discipline," the coach said. "His attitude really stood out. He was well-respected by his teammates."

He often talked to his teammates and coaches about joining the military, Baumgartner said.

"He wanted to serve his country," Baumgartner said. "A lot of our players knew that's what he was going to pursue. I remember that he was very committed about doing that."

Opskar is the 24th Minnesotan to die in the Mideast during the Iraq war. He died instantly of a shrapnel wound, his mother said.

The family attended Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Princeton, where the Rev. Stephen Cook opened Sunday's service by announcing the Marine's death.

"It was just a matter of time before this hit closer to home than it has so far," Cook said on Monday.

No date was immediately set for the funeral.

"You're not supposed to lose your child," said Opskar's father, Erling. "It's tough."