Henry Clayton "Hoppie" Hopkinson, a Pleasant Valley resident since 1979, died peacefully on Saturday, March 07, 2015 at Wingate at Dutchess in Fishkill. He passed away after a long, courageous battle with Parkinson's Disease surrounded by his family, who spent the last weeks of his life by his side.
Hoppie was born in Ridgewood, NJ on October 23, 1933. He was predeceased by his father, Henry R. Hopkinson, his mother, Janet Haviland, and stepfather Charles Townsend. He was also predeceased by his loving daughter, Kathryn Mary Hopkinson Salani, and his loving son Edward Thomas Hopkinson.
As an only child, Hoppie grew up in Scarsdale and graduated from White Plains High School. He married the love of his life, Patricia Ann Carney, in White Plains at St. John the Evangelist Church. They recently celebrated 61 years of marriage.
He is survived by his wife Patricia at home; his daughter, Carol Ranalli of Mamaroneck; his daughter, Janet Hopkinson of Pleasant Valley; his son, Andrew Hopkinson and his wife Meri of Ridgefield, CT; his son, James Hopkinson of White Plains; his son, Peter Hopkinson and his wife Cindy of Patterson; his grandchildren, Anthony, Joseph, Robert, Jack, Emma, Drew, James, Timothy, Kyle, Randy, Sara, and William; his sisters-in-law, Fran Carney Suhay and Louise Carney Glifort; as well as dozens of loving nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Hoppie was a United States Navy Veteran, having served on a mine sweeper in the South Pacific during the Korean War. He proudly served with the Village of Mamaronceck Police Department for 37 years, retiring as the Executive Officer/Deputy Chief in 1993. He served in the Marine Unit, was promoted to Detective, Detective Sergeant, Patrol Sergeant, and Patrol Lieutenant before being promoted to Executive Lieutenant, where he ran the day-to-day operations of the entire department. He was a heroic leader and respected by his subordinates. He is a graduate of numerous F.B.I., D.E.A., F.E.M.A., and U.S. Treasury Law Enforcement schools including the DEA Narcotics Detection and Enforcement School. He is the recipient of numerous awards and commendations for his actions during his long career. He survived a violent assault as a detective by a convicted felon during a commercial burglary, which left him with permanent hearing damage but never hampered his dedication to the ones he loved, or the community he proudly served and protected. Hoppie was an avid baseball player and loved the game of softball, which he played into his 70s. He played in an Over 55 league, then several 65 and Over leagues in NY and Florida, where he and Patricia would often escape to in one of their custom motorhomes, another of his loves. He was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police, the American Legion, the B.P.O.E., and the N.R.A. and also loved to play golf with his softball buddies. He loved his seven children and twelve grandchildren very much; in fact, he and Patricia would often take the children camping and on trips in the motorhome. Hoppie was an only child but had numerous friends and was loved by all of his family, including his many aunts, uncles, and cousins. He was an excellent carpenter and handyman and took pride in his homes and automobiles. He will be greatly missed.
Calling hours will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Monday, March 9 and from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10 at the McHoul Funeral Home, Inc., 895 Route 82, Hopewell Junction. A funeral service will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
For directions, online condolences, and memorial donations, please visit Hoppie's Book of Memories at www.mchoulfuneralhome.com.