The Rt. Rev. Harold’s Obituary The Rt.
Rev. Harold A. Hopkins, Jr., age 88, passed away surrounded by his family on January 3rd, 2019 at the Maine Medical Center after a brief illness. Harold (Hoppy) Hopkins was born in Germantown PA on April 24th, 1930 to Harold A. Hopkins, Sr. and Ellen Sophia Christianson.
Hoppy graduated from Germantown Academy and the University of PA, attended officers training in the Navy for two years, leaving to attend and graduate with a Master of Divinity from the General Theological Seminary in NYC. During his second year in Seminary, he met and eventually married the love of his life and partner in all things, Nancy Myer Hopkins who predeceased him in July 2018. After graduation, Hoppy first served for two years as an assistant priest in Pelham Manor, NY.
He then moved with his wife to Maine where he served as parish Rector, first in Millinocket for five years and then Bar Harbor for six years. During this time, Nancy and Hoppy started their family, including Andrew C Hopkins (predeceased, 2012), Thomas F Hopkins, Elizabeth E Hopkins, Katherine A Hopkins, Jonathan P Hopkins, and Paul M Hopkins. In 1969, Hoppy and the family moved to North Yarmouth, Maine where he worked as Archdeacon, assistant to the Episcopal Bishop of Maine in Portland.
During this time, he also founded St Bartholomew’s Church in Yarmouth, Maine. He was then called to become the Bishop of the Diocese of North Dakota in 1980, where he worked until 1989. When he left North Dakota, he lived in Minneapolis, Minnesota and then moved back to his beloved Maine while working in the Office of Pastoral Development in the national Episcopal Church for The Most Reverend Bishop Edmond Browning until his retirement in 1997.
After he retired, Hoppy and Nancy moved to the Piper Shores retirement community in Scarborough, Maine. He enjoyed volunteering for several years, teaching English as a second language to New Mainers and serving on numerous committees at Piper Shores. There are many things Hoppy talked about that were important to him throughout his life.
He loved Maine and the many long-lasting friendships he made in and outside of the church community. He was a strong supporter of and ordained many women Episcopal Priests and Bishops and was proud to be one of the co-consecrators of the first openly gay Bishop in the Episcopal Church. In North Dakota, he grew to love the plains and especially enjoyed his work with the tribal nations there.
Hoppy loved the ocean and our family had numerous boats during his life-time (including overhauled lobster, sailing, and motor boats). One of his favorite things to do was sail and moor overnight in some small cove along the Casco Bay coast with Nancy. Hoppy became what was generally termed a “gentleman farmer”.
This was a family affair which involved raising numerous sheep, chickens, a donkey, and a horse along with growing and maintaining a lovely garden. Hoppy was a skilled wood carver, guitar and banjo player and fixer of old clocks. The joke of the family was to never call the house on the hour because the chiming of clocks in the background would drown out all conversation!
Hoppy loved music – passing this love along to his children and grandchildren. Most of all, he was a life-long learner. In later years, he was a voracious reader of books and articles about philosophy, various forms of religion, politics, etc.
and he was happy to discuss in depth these and other topics at any given time. He enjoyed writing beautiful poetry and short stories. One good friend from Piper Shores in Scarborough said Hoppy was a “profound man who illuminated, comforted and inspired me and so many”.
Hoppy was extremely proud of his six grandchildren, Katy and Hillary Morrison, Paul and Anna Hopkins, and Hannah and Elise Piecuch. A memorial celebration of his life will be held at St. Bartholomew’s Church in Yarmouth, Maine on Saturday, April 6th at 2:00 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Doctors Without Borders, or your favorite charity.
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