Stewart W. Hopkins, 91, passed away peacefully Thursday morning, Jan. 14, with his two daughters by his side.
Hopkins delighted his fellow residents and staff at Ashland Farms with his dancing and his hula-hoop tricks. He loved hiking and fulfilled his dream of climbing The Matterhorn at an early age. He was a water skier and spent many hot summer days at Lake Winnipesaukee teaching his children to ski and dive. He was a graceful ice skater and cross-country skier and loved to jump-rope to reggae music. He developed a passion for computers long before the Internet became popular. Even as he approached his later years, he continued to pursue new challenges including windsurfing into his 60s, and rowing and rollerblading well into his 80s much to his wife’s chagrin. He was a Haverhill YMCA ping pong champion and placed second in the masters division of the World Indoor Rowing Championship. He was born in Brattleboro, Vt., Oct. 15, 1924, son of the late C. Warner and Edith (Thurber) Hopkins. Educated in the Brattleboro school system, he skipped two grades and enrolled at Northeastern University at the age of 16. His college education was delayed when he was drafted in to the United States Navy at the time World War II was winding down. Following his honorable discharge, he earned his Bachelor’s Degree from Northeastern University. Hopkins pursued graduate studies at the Chicago Illinois Institute of Technology and then returned to Northeastern to receive his Master’s Degree in electrical engineering. For more than 39 years he was employed at the former Western Electric as a senior staff engineer. He was a longtime member of First Baptist Church, Haverhill where he was a deacon and served on the finance committee.
He was the husband of R. Harriet “Podee” (Jacobs) Hopkins who died in 2014. He is survived by two daughters, Hillary J. Benson of Haverhill, and Heidi H. and her husband Norman Delisle of Manchester; two sons, Harvey W. Hopkins of Carbondale, Colo., and Carl F. Hopkins of Plaistow, N.H.; a brother Donald and his wife Leila Hopkins; grandchildren Matthew Benson, Warner Hopkins, Eric Delisle and Rain Delisle; niece Alison Pellittierri; nephew Ronald Hopkins; and their families.
Family and friends were invited to attend his calling hours Sunday afternoon, at the H.L. Farmer and Sons Funeral Home and Cremation Service, 106 Summer St., Haverhill, followed by a memorial service at 2 p.m., at the Funeral Home. Interment will be private and at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers contributions in his memory may be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 220 North Main St., Suite 104, Natick, MA 01760.