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John Evans Hopkins, 68, of Williams Bay, WI, was called home to his Heavenly Father the morning of Sunday, February 13, 2022, at home surrounded by his family praying at his bedside. John was born in Chicago, IL, on February 17, 1953, to the late John E. Hopkins and Helen Elaine (VanWorden) Hopkins. He married the love and joy of his life, Jacqueline Ann (Minwegen) Hopkins, on December 12, 1980, in Chicago, IL, after they eloped on October 10, 1980. John deeply loved his four children and their spouses: Brittany Hopkins, Aubrey-Noelle (Jake) Bark, Caleigh (Kassi) Hopkins, and Dr. Greigham (Lydia) Hopkins. He delighted in being "Pops" to six grandchildren: Rowan, Teagan, Finley, Scotlyn, Joviana, and Emmitt. His one-year-old collie pup Shenanigans misses him dearly. John was always "Bud" to his two sisters (Sue A. and Sharon (Gene) Kelly). He loved his in-laws and many nieces and nephews.
John loved the Lord with his whole being and lived in the peace that only the Lord can offer and looked forward to his bible study and small group gatherings. John's greatest earthly treasure was his family. His final words were "I love you more" to his wife Jacqueline before he took his final breath. There is no measurement for how he loved others. His children strongly desire to live out their father's legacy for them in loving God and others.
Due to John's intentional engagement with others, lives were changed. This did not just apply to family and friends but co-workers as well. His intelligence, strong work ethic, integrity, teaching skills, and high standards characterized his career as a commercial electrician through the I.B.E.W. (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers). He was gifted at finding solutions and foreshadowing their impact in the future and put this to good use as a member of several school boards and the Village of Williams Bay Planning Committee.
John had an incredible thirst for knowledge and could connect content from various sources, making them relevant to the topic at hand. He loved lake life on the shores of Geneva Lake and could often be found by the lakefront in Williams Bay with his wife by his side, chatting with community members. He shared an interest of sailing and boating with his oldest daughter Britt. The two also enjoyed discussing traveling and current affairs. He enjoyed a good meal and sweet treat and discussed cooking and baking with Aubrey as they watched cooking shows together. They also had a knack for telling memorable jokes and still laugh about their epic sledding experience. He shared a passion for the artistry and engineering of cars with his son Cal. Every August, their guy's trip to IMSA races at Road America grew to include spouses, siblings, and grandchildren. He specifically was fond of Corvettes and Porsches. He always had a heart to help people and found that the medical field was one of the largest industries that could significantly impact a person's life. Much of his electrical projects were in the healthcare industry. He and Greigham shared many things in common, but two of those were discussing Greigham's passions for optometry and candy. Pops was a morning person, and one of his favorite traditions was getting up early on Saturdays to run to the local bakery to get donuts for his family, especially for the grandkids. He always knew which one was everyone's favorite. He had a witty sense of humor, and his love for music and Chicago sports teams are shared with the whole family.
There was only one thing that John loved more than his family: the Lord. He had total peace during his illness, which gave him the strength to lead his family through this season. "Be gracious, kind, compassionate, and look for the joy in this day," was often said or texted to his family. He often commented with genuine sincerity that he was "truly blessed." John unashamedly shared his faith with others in hopes that they too could experience the same peace and joy one day. He looked forward to turning his darkest night into the perfect day (Proverbs 4:18), which occurred the morning he ran into Jesus’ waiting arms. His family does not grieve without hope (1 Thessalonians 4:18) as they are confident that the Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18) and that one day soon they will be reunited with the Lord.
Services to celebrate the life of John will be hosted at Calvary Community Church (N 2620 Harris Road, Lake Geneva, WI 53147) on Saturday, February 19 at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will precede the service from 9:00 -10:45 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Mount Zion Christian School in Lake Geneva, WI. A link has been provided below.
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Derrick Funeral Home is honored to be assisting the Hopkins family.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of John Evans Hopkins, please visit our floral store.
Mt. Zion Christian School
2330 Highway 120, Lake Geneva WI 53147
Tel: 1-262-248-5255
Email: secretary@mtzionschool.com
Web: https://mtzionschool.com/payments
Please put in the note area of the donation site "In Memory of John Hopkins". Thank you