Joseph Roger Hopkins

Joseph “Roger” Hopkins, age 77, of Lake Oconee, passed away at St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens on Friday, August 15, 2014, following a severe stroke. He was born in Commerce, Georgia, to the late Katie Mae and Lent Hopkins on June 19, 1937. He grew up in Macon, Georgia where his Mother ran Hopkins Boarding House on Cherry Street. Roger is a graduate of the old elementary school, Whittle School, and had been meeting his elderly classmates each month at Fresh Air Barbecue for their timely luncheons. While in high school at Lanier, he was a member of the Lanier Poets Football Team and a member of Theta Chi Fraternity. He served in the Air Force for 4 years, having been stationed in North Africa, Germany, and at several bases in the western USA.

His work career was 51 years with Conditioned Air, Inc., an air conditioning firm on South Street in Macon. He began work in 1960 and retired in 2011 as an air conditioning mechanic, specializing in cases at the old establishments and businesses that still had antique, out dated equipment.

His first wife was Jean Malone, of Gray, to whom he was married for 7 years, their marriage cut short by her untimely death. They also lost a son, Joseph Wayne, who died of cystic fibrosis at age 1. In 1972, Roger was married to Rose Anne Kelley Hopkins of Warner Robins, a marriage that lasted 42 years. They lived in Macon, Monroe County, and, most recently, Lake Oconee for the past 14 years. He was an avid crappie fisherman and had a reputation for catching fish in areas where other fisherman were out-smarted, by trolling for fish or shooting the docks. In 2012, he caught a 33 pound catfish off his Lake Oconee dock, and that was one of the lifetime highlights of his fishing endeavors.He also had a reputation for hunting deer in his younger days, winning the Jasper County Deer Festival in 1970, with a deer that weighed 228 pounds with a 13 point rack.

Mr. Hopkins is survived by his wife of forty-two years, Rose Anne Kelley Hopkins; his son, Steve Hopkins of Grayson; daughter, Bonnie Hopkins (Donn Kester) of Macon; Christopher (Christa) Hopkins of Dahlonega; and daughter, Kimberly Buchanan (Mark) of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. His grandchildren are PFC Donnie Kester (Ashley) of Fort Stewart at Savannah; Kate (Sgt. Ryan Reynolds) Reynolds of Ft. Shafter, Honolulu, Hawaii; Carter, Cole, and Hallie Hopkins of Dahlonega; and Elijah and Lucy Buchanan of Glenwood Springs, Colorado. Roger’s great-grandchildren are Andrew, Kaelyn and Zoey Kester of Fort Stewart in Savannah; and Ella Reynolds of Hawaii. He also leaves behind many other treasured family members and friends.

Roger Hopkins will always be remembered for his deep love of friends, family, fish fries, John Wayne movies, and homemade vanilla ice cream.

Memorial contributions may be made to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Georgia, 1160 Forsyth Street, Macon, GA 31201

Visitation will be held at Snow’s Memorial Chapel, 3077 Pio Nono Avenue on Monday from 6 – 8 pm. Funeral Services will be held Tuesday at 1:00 p.m. at Mabel White Baptist Church, 500 Bass Road to be followed by Interment at Riverside Cemetery with Military Honors. The Rev. Joe McDaniel, the Rev. Morgan Green and Mr. Albert McKay will officiate. Serving as pallbearers will be Bud Leggett, Stevie Kelley, John Edmonson, Jerry Edmonson, Lee Singleton, Todd Sauls, Jimmy Sauls and James Jackson.

Visit www.snowsmacon.com to express condolences.

Snow’s Memorial Chapel Funeral and Cremation Services, Pio Nono Avenue has charge of arrangements.