Denny Hopkins

Denny Gale Hopkins was born on February 24,1944 in Oklahoma City to Eugene Boyd and Torrence Carole (Moore) Hopkins of Norman, Oklahoma. He passed from this life the afternoon of Sunday, April 26, 2026, at the age of 82, in Norman.

Denny was a gifted athlete in both basketball and baseball. All things baseball was Denny’s true love and passion. He excelled so much in the playing of America’s pastime that he was named an All-State athlete in baseball his senior year at Norman High in 1962. After graduation, he attended the University of Oklahoma on a baseball scholarship. While at OU, he was batting champion of the 1965 season in the Big 8 Conference with a .312 batting average, before joining the United States Navy. He was stationed in Alameda, California. He served as a Quartermaster on the USS Aludra. He was a proud member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation of Oklahoma. He is honored at the Citizen Potawatomi Nation Cultural Heritage Center in the Veterans’ Hall in Shawnee, OK. His uniform, sextant, service medals and ribbons are on proud display there.

After being honorably discharged from the Navy, he started his career for the United States Postal Service as a mail carrier in the city of Norman. He faithfully served the people of Norman by delivering mail on his route for 27 years. During his career, he made many friends and knew almost everyone in Norman. He retired in 1999.

Denny had a smart, witty and quick sense of humor, always laughing and telling jokes. His laugh was infectious. He was always the one to go to for the words of any song made during the 1950’s. He loved music, sports, especially anything University of Oklahoma, family, and dogs.

His first marriage was to Janet Bloomer. In 1985, Denny met the love of his life, Rose Marie McCarty. They wed in a small ceremony at his brother Jerry’s and sister-in-law Kay’s home in Norman in 1986. He gained a son that day as well in Sean McCarty. They became a family of three for the next 39 years, until Rose’s death on February 7, 2026.

In between his school days, baseball, the Navy, the Post Office, and combined family on both sides, there was a whole lot of living, loving, laughing, traveling all over to see his nieces and nephew’s sporting and life events and always enjoyed watching all things sports on TV. He loved painting and creating works of art on pumpkins for family and friends during the Fall. Rose and Denny traveled at times with his sister Jan and brother-in-law Gary to many destinations, including Tahoe, Yosemite, and Hawaii. He loved visiting Jan and Gary

at their then home in Northern California, having a special affinity for its world-renowned wine country. He was truly an all-around wonderful man who lived a great life.

Denny’s family includes his sister Jan (Gary) Zeigler of Norman, OK; son Sean McCarty of Irving, Texas, granddaughter Megan Lyn Churchill of Fayetteville, North Carolina; sister-in-law Jackie Love of Fletcher, OK, brother-in-law Richard Vail of Apache, OK. Twelve nieces and nephews; a host of great-nieces, great-nephews, cousins and extended family. He made and had friends as well everywhere he went. He leaves an unfillable void within our hearts and our family at his “Walking On”, how it is said in the Citizen Potawatomi Indian Tribe.

Those that were awaiting Denny’s arrival in Heaven include his beloved wife Rose; his parents, Eugene and Carole Hopkins, and his brother and sister-in-law, Jerry and Kay Hopkins.

Visitation and funeral arrangements are provided by Primrose Funeral Home at 3901 N. Flood Ave., Norman, OK 73069.

Family will see visitors on Thursday, April 30, 2026 from 5:00 pm-8:00 pm.

Funeral services will be Friday May 1, 2026 at 11:00 am, in the Memorial Venue at Primrose.