~ IN MEMORY ~
SO/RC/NWA Capt. Stephen Tobin Hopkins
October 4, 1939 ~ January 4, 2015
Notification with the passing of retired NWA pilot Captain
Stephen Tobin Hopkins, age 75. After his military service, Captain Hopkins
joined Southern Airways 10-16-1972, made the merger with Republic, and retired
with Northwest Airlines in 1999 at the mandatory age 60.
To view/sign the online guestbook please visit http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/toledoblade/obituary.aspx?n=Stephen-Hopkins&pid=173807921 Captain Hopkins’ obituary notes that a memorial mass celebrating his
life will be held on January 17th at St. Rose Church in Perrysburg OH with lunch
and reception to follow at the Belmont Country Club.
Survived by his wife Jane personal condolences may be sent to
the family at
28733 E. River Road , Perrysburg OH 43551-2729 ... (419)
872-2050
Thank you,
~ Carol for the PCN
Obituary..................
Stephen Tobin Hopkins, 75, died unexpectedly from
complications of a massive stroke on January 4, 2015, at the Broward Medical
Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Steve suffered a small stroke on the return home from a
Christmas holiday in Cartagena, Colombia, with his wife and youngest son. Four
days later, he experienced a catastrophic stroke and was never able to
recover.
Originally from South Windsor, Connecticut, Steve graduated
from the University of Hartford, where he was a member of the NCAA Championship
soccer team. He also received his MBA from Georgia State University. After
graduating from college, Steve entered the U.S. Air Force flight program and
would later pilot the B-52 aircraft during the Vietnam War, completing over 150
missions in the Southeast Asia area. He earned numerous medals including the
Distinguished Flying Cross.
After his tenure in the Air Force, Steve became a commercial
airline pilot for Southern Airways, which through several mergers is known today
as Delta Airlines. He flew both domestically and internationally and retired in
1999 at the required age of 60. After retirement, he continued to work for many
years as a check airman for Lufthansa Airlines, certifying Chinese pilots in
Frankfurt, Germany.
For the last 20 years, Steve and his wife, Jane, have lived in
Perrysburg, OH. He had been a member of Rotary International in Perrysburg and
served as its president in 2012/2013. Also a member of the Knights of Columbus,
he had volunteered for numerous projects including Toledo's Read for Literacy
program, St. Rose Catechism classes teaching second graders, and coaching youth
sports. He had an inquisitive mind and enjoyed pursuing many interests and
hobbies, including woodworking, photography, reading and traveling. In fact, he
was in the process of making his youngest son a modern designed bed and had
traveled to over 40 countries.
He enjoyed playing golf and tennis, especially with his tennis
buddies at 6:30 a.m. and lately, had fallen in love with the sport of sailing.
But, most of all, he loved being with his family, especially with his two sons
and two grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Alfred and Eleanor
Hopkins of South Windsor, CT, and his brother, Alfred Hopkins Jr. of Meridien,
CT. He leaves his wife, Jane; two sons, Tobin (Courtney) Hopkins of Chicago, IL,
Mark Hopkins of New York, New York, and two grandsons, Cole Hopkins and Layton
Hopkins of Chicago, IL.
A memorial mass celebrating Steve's life will be held at 11
a.m. Saturday, January 17th at St. Rose Church in Perrysburg and afterwards a
lunch/reception at Belmont Country Club. In lieu of flowers, contributions can
be made to the Perrysburg Rotary Service Foundation, P.O. Box 442 Perrysburg, OH
43552 or the Country Garden Club of Perrysburg, Endowment/Community Projects
Fund, P. O. Box 818, Perrysburg, OH 43552.
.Published in Toledo Blade on Jan. 11, 2015
Stephen Tobin Hopkins (1939 - 2015)
(News article) Stephen Tobin Hopkins, a retired airline pilot
who was active in the Perrysburg community for more than 20 years, died Sunday
in Broward Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He was 75.
Mr. Hopkins, his wife, Jane, and his younger son, Mark, had
just spent the holiday vacationing in Colombia when he suffered a mild stroke on
the airplane ride home. He was immediately admitted to the hospital when the
plane landed in Fort Lauderdale, Mark Hopkins said. He later suffered a massive
stroke and never recovered, his son said.
"We had a blast. It was absolutely fantastic. We were in a
town called Santa Marta and then we went to Cartagena. We were there for eight
days and did some hiking and sightseeing. It's more than a shock because his
health was so good," his son said.
Mr. Hopkins was a commercial pilot for many years for
Northwest airlines. After his two sons went away to college, he and his wife
decided to move closer to Detroit Metropolitan Airport where he was piloting
international flights. The couple looked at several communities in Michigan and
Ohio before deciding to relocate from Memphis to Perrysburg in
1995.
"They liked the small-town, quaint feel and he liked to sail,
so the proximity to the water was an attraction," said his older son Tobin, who
added that Mr. Hopkins had a passion for sailing but no time to pursue it when
working.
"He absolutely loved living in Perrysburg. They built such a
good group of friends here and they love this area. In his core was a desire to
give back to the community," his son said.
Mr. Hopkins was president of the Perrysburg Rotary Club in
2013 and also a member of the Knights of Columbus. He spent much time
volunteering for organizations such as Toledo's Read for Literacy program and at
St. Rose Church in Perrysburg.
"He was extremely friendly and outgoing. When we would go to
church, he would be the guy standing there 30 minutes afterwards talking to
everybody. He was a people person," his son Tobin said.
Mr. Hopkins coached youth sports in Perrysburg. He had been
captain of the soccer team at the University of Hartford, in
Connecticut.
Born in South Windsor, Conn., to Alfred and Eleanor Hopkins,
he followed his father's career path and joined the U.S. Air Force.
Mr. Hopkins flew B-52s during the Vietnam War and completed
more than 150 missions over Southeast Asia. He was awarded the Distinguished
Flying Cross and numerous other medals for his military service, his son
said.
He met his future wife while on a three-month leave from the
Air Force. She was a flight attendant on the plane. "They struck up a
conversation. He got her address and started writing her letters, and the
relationship blossomed," son Tobin said. They married in 1967 before Mr. Hopkins
returned to his base.
The family moved to Atlanta, where he was employed briefly by
the U.S Federal Reserve Bank after receiving a master of business administration
degree from Georgia State University. He missed flying, though, and returned to
the air as a commercial pilot for Southern Airways, which through mergers became
part of Delta Airlines.
Surviving are his wife, Jane; sons, Tobin and Mark, and two
grandsons.
A memorial seervice is set for 11 a.m. Jan. 17 at St. Rose
Church. The family suggests tributes to the Perrysburg Rotary Service Foundation
or the Country Garden Club of Perrysburg's, Endowment/?Community Project
Fund.
Contact Blade staff writer Marlene Harris-Taylor at
mtaylor@theblade.com or 419-724-6091.
.Published in Toledo Blade on Jan. 10, 2015
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