Obituary of Edward Hopkins

Edward Wallace Hopkins, 95, of Roanoke, passed away quietly at his home on Friday, January 27, 2012. Ed was born near Carmel, N.Y. on May 24, 1916 to the late Wallace and Martha Lukens Hopkins. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his first wife, Ruth Burns Hopkins and a brother, Reed Hopkins. He was employed at the Pratt-Whitney Aircraft factory in Hartford, Conn. at the beginning of World War II. From there he became a member of the U.S. Army. Eventually he was assigned to General George Patton's Third Army and among their actions were the Battle of the Bulge and the liberation of Dachau. After discharge from the Army, Ed received his Bachelors degree from Colgate University in Economics with a minor in Psychology. He began employment with the Western Auto Company as a district representative covering the mid-atlantic states. He later owned and operated his own store in Buena Vista. In 1966 he took a position with the Roanoke City Schools System as a teacher of Distributive Education. He taught at both Patrick Henry and Jefferson High Schools. In 1971 he received his Masters degree in Education from Virginia Commonwealth University. He retired from the school system in 1980. He was member, ordained Deacon and Elder at Northminster Presbyterian Church. He was a 33rd degree Mason and a member of Webber High Twelve Masonic Lodge, the Buena Vista Masonic Lodge, Kazim Shrine Temple and the Scottish Rite. In his retirement years he enjoyed traveling, playing golf, exercising at the YMCA and listening to classical music. He was an avid and lifelong woodworker. Surviving are his wife, Lois Camper Hopkins; children, Martha Hopkins, of Alexandria; Nancy Hopkins-Garriss and husband, Harvey, of Harrisonburg; Edward Reed Hopkins, of Churchville; a brother, Richard G. Hopkins and wife, Astrid, of Peekskill, N.Y.; and a niece, Susan A. Hopkins, of Cornwall, N.Y. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Shriners Hospital for Children, 950 West Faris Road, Greenville, SC 29605. Masonic rites will be presented at 7 p.m. Sunday, January 29, 2012 at Simpson Funeral Home, 5160 Peters Creek Road. A memorial service will be conducted at 11 a.m. Monday, January 30, 2012, at Northminster Presbyterian Church by the Rev. C. Todd Hester. The family will receive friends following the Masonic rites on Sunday evening at the funeral home and following the memorial service on Monday at the church. Arrangements by Simpson Funeral Home & Crematory.