Nadene Rae Hopping

On January 21, 1965, the precious Nadene Rae Chiaratti was born to her parents Don and Marilyn in Roseville, CA. Nadene was an absolute princess in every way–beautiful, gracious, determined, encouraging, ever-smiling, and always loving. Everything about her life was miraculous. On the night of April 29, 2023, this precious angel was taken home to be with her heavenly father after succumbing to a bravely fought battle with a severe infection, which had weakened and tired her heart. Though she had also recently been diagnosed with a type of gastrointestinal cancer, she passed on before it affected her quality of life. On the contrary, she continued to only ever enhance the quality of life of those around her.

For her husband Todd, when he first ever saw Nadene, they were both attending Placer High School in Auburn. His very first thoughts were “This is the absolute most beautiful young woman that I have ever seen.” At the time, she was 2 grades younger than he was, and he never really had the opportunity to speak to her. He would see her frequently at the bottom of the steps at the door to the art room as he was exiting from yearbook meetings. Every time he saw her, he continued to have that same thought.

Todd finally had the opportunity to speak to Nadene, though about 9 years had passed since their high school encounters. She had been working as a waitress at Sizzler, and a close friend of hers had told Todd playfully at the salad bar that she had been watching him come into the restaurant for quite some time with his family and thought he was cute. Todd had been in disbelief that this gorgeous human felt the same way as he did. Yet he walked right to the kitchen to tell Nadene that if this was not a joke, he would love to have her phone number. A joke, it was not: he called the very next day and they went on their first date that night. Within less then a year of this joyful introduction, they were married on January 6, 1990.

Nadene’s personality was even more beautiful than her appearance. Everyone who knows Nadene is aware of the unique combination of physical and internal beauty she possessed. As her brother Scott says, “There is no one like Nadene, not ever.” She radiated beauty in all that she did. She was an artist at heart, winning awards for several of her paintings, but her creative spirit was never limited to the canvas. She brought endless beauty into all that she touched, rather it was decorating the family home with unique treasures, or nurturing lush and ever-blooming landscapes in the yard. A natural caretaker to all, she spent joyous moments having coffee in the mornings with the family cat, wandering around her garden to admire the birds and creatures that gathered there to enjoy the space with her. She always loved all bright and beautiful and colorful things.

Nadene has always been a fighter. Early in life she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. This required treatment with radiation, which thankfully cured the illness, however, doctors had been doubtful that she would ever be able to bear children. In God’s abundant and miraculous goodness, He blessed Nadene with three amazing sons. All who know Nadene also know that her children are her world. She recognized the gift that each of her sons is and was grateful for these miracles that God had granted to her. Later, some of the negative long-term effects of radiation became more apparent, and Nadene courageously underwent two separate heart valve replacement surgeries, first in 2009, and then again in 2018. Even in her most recent health battles, Nadene remained a beacon of hope and strength.

Nadene was preceded in death by her father Don Chiaratti of Auburn, CA. She is survived by her husband of 33 short years, Todd Hopping of Loomis, CA, as well as their three sons; Evan Todd Hopping (29), Nolan Todd Hopping (28), and Brock Todd Hopping (25). She also leaves behind one granddaughter, her mother Marilyn Weller, stepmother Lynne Chiaratti, sister Hana Russell and her family, as well as brothers Scott and Josh Chiaratti and their families.

It's not possible to express how deeply the world will miss Princess Nadene. However, her loved ones are looking forward to the day when they will be able to see their amazing wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend in heaven once more. For all who she knew, her greatest desire would be for them to experience that same joy in heaven when life here on Earth has come to an end. She lived her life in a way that never ceased to honor her Heavenly Father and sought to always inspire others to live in that same hopefulness—knowing that they will one day be welcomed into the Lord’s loving embrace, just as she has now.

All are welcome to attend a celebration of Nadene’s life, which will be announced in the near future. Instead of flowers and gifts, Nadene’s family requests that you support one of several causes in honor of her life. Firstly, if you would like to help support the family directly with medical expenses recently incurred during Nadene’s nearly 2-month period of treatment, please consider giving at https://www.givesendgo.com/NadeneHopping. She received the highest quality of care from providers who should be considered nothing short of heroes. Secondly, those who know Nadene are likely aware of her passion for gardening and her green thumb. A dream of hers was to have a homestead where she could raise chickens and grow a bountiful garden. Consider planting a flower in your yard in her memory, spending time in nature, or making a donation in her honor to Seed Savers Exchange, an organization that educates and connects people through collecting, regenerating, and sharing heirloom seeds: https://www.seedsavers.org/donate. As an equally important alternative, the family encourages you to honor a loved one or family member with a simple gift or quality time spent that will bring a moment of joy to their heart.