Gerald Hopkins

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Gerald Grant Hopkins passed away peacefully on November 12, 2022, in Jenison, Michigan, an unexpected turn for a man whose 95 years were marked by an abundance of warmth, color, and liveliness. He is preceded in death by his wife, Eunice Assum, to whom he was married for over sixty years until her passing in 2012. He was born on March 25, 1927 to Grant and Daisy Hopkins in Blanchester, Ohio, where he was raised on the family dairy farm. After graduating from Morrow High School, he went on to attend Wilmington College where he earned a Bachelor of Education degree. During this time, he was also asked to serve his country in the United States military. His natural talents placed him in the United Services Organization (USO), where he sang, danced, and performed magic tricks for thousands of troops stationed overseas during WWII. When he returned, Gerald (“Hoppy” to his friends) and Eunice raised their family in Morrow, Ohio, before moving to Hudsonville, Michigan in 1972. He played many roles over the years, serving as a 4-H leader, a member of the Morrow Fire Department and the Masonic Temple, and a clown for the Shriners. Most notably, he spent 30 years working for General Motors before retiring in 1980. Whether by land or sea, Gerald and Eunice took frequent trips to many parts of the world. After retirement, they hosted countless lifelong friends at their Michigan home and spent winters in Florida. In his later years, Gerald wrote and distributed a quarterly newsletter, “The Hopkins News,” to family members, who eagerly anticipated the chance to see if they’d earned a mention in the latest edition. His grandchildren enjoyed watching him perform card and magic tricks, making cards disappear and pulling coins from their ears. He always remembered the birthdays of his children, grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren, all of whom will cherish his memory with love, gratitude, and joy. Gerald is survived by his brother, Jack Hopkins of Tucson, Arizona; his children, Cynthia (Nathan) Boynton, Keith (Anne) Hopkins, and Susan (Robert Dean) Hopkins; as well as his grandchildren, Susanne (Matthew) Minervino, Lucinda Melvin, Elisabeth (Cecil) Ludema, Natalie (Daniel) Siminski, Tanya (Vincent) Roth, Christopher Hopkins, Grant (Gemma) Hopkins, Brandon Hopkins, Sarah (Jacob) Sherburne, Cameron (Megan) Dean, Wilson (Sophie Boudreau) Dean; and twenty-three great-grandchildren. A memorial celebration is planned in Michigan and a burial will be held at the Morrow Cemetery in Morrow, Ohio, later this year.