John F. Hopkins

John (Jack) Francis Hopkins, Jr, loving husband and father of five children, died on November 21, 2020, at the age of 87, at Hathaway Manor in New Bedford, MA while recovering from surgery. Jack was born on April 8, 1933 in Yonkers, NY to John Hopkins and Anna Lapchick. He resided in Yonkers during his formative years, moved to Verona, NY in 1969, and then to Freetown, MA. in 1984.

Jack was a Korean War Combat Veteran having served in the USMC from 1951 through 1954, and was awarded the Korean Service Medal w/3*, United Nations Service Medal, Korean Presidential Unit Citation, National Defense Service Medal and the Good Conduct Medal.

He married Valarie Obertanec on December 5, 1954, in Yonkers, NY, the love of his life for 66 years, which began much earlier as teenage sweethearts.

Jack worked his entire life in the critical infrastructure field of Wire and Cable. He was employed by Phelps Dodge Corp. as a Lab Technician and Field Engineer during the installation of the Minuteman Missile Defense System in North Dakota and Montana; Rome Cable Corp. as Process Engineer, Lead Supervisor of High Voltage, and Superintendent of the Thermoplastics Department; Phalo Corp. as Plant Manager; American Flexible Conduit as Manufacturing Manager, Lynx Wire and Cable, as Vice President of Operations and Manufacturing based in mainland China; and Pac-Merchant Cable, as Vice President of Manufacturing.

He was a devoted father who worked tirelessly to provide for his family and instilled in them values meaningful in life. He was an avid outdoorsman; hunter and fresh and saltwater fisherman. The consummate intellectual, he was a voracious reader and a walking encyclopedia on most anything, but especially astute of nature, wildlife, and history. He was an athlete who enjoyed all sport and competition. He once stated that one of the best periods of his life was watching his 3 sons play football on Fridays and Saturdays on VVS High School freshman, JV and Varsity Teams, and then watching the NY Giants on Sundays. He was a life-long NYG fan. He loved all creatures on earth.

He is survived by his wife; Valarie of East Freetown, MA, five children; Steve Hopkins of Chittenango, NY (Shelley Chapman), Kathleen Russ of Valdosta, GA (John Russ), James Hopkins of Belington, WV (Traci Hopkins), Christine Gelinas of S. Dartmouth, MA (Claude Gelinas), and Mark Hopkins, Hudson, NH (Sherry Newton). His sister, Lorre Daly Dratch of Vero Beach, Fl and brother Christopher Lapchick of Kingston, NY. Nine grandchildren: Jason, Larissa, Valarie, Katelin, Matthew, Tyler, Aaron, Zachary and Jessica. Also, ten great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be private and held at a later date. Interment will be made at the Massachusetts US National Cemetery located in Bourne, Massachusetts.

To honor Jack, in lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to MassWildlife's Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. Donations by mail: send a check made payable to "Comm. of MA—NHESP" to: MassWildlife, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough, MA 01581 or give online www.mass.gov/service-details/support-endangered-species-conservation

and/or to Homes For Our Troops by mail: Homes For Our Troops, 6 Main Street, Taunton, MA 02780 or online www.hfotusa.org