Thomas Richard Hopkins' Obituary
Thomas Richard Hopkins, known to his loved ones as Tom, passed away on August 12, 2023, in Germantown, TN, at the age of 69. He was born on October 18, 1953, in Memphis, Shelby County, Tennessee.
Tom was a true gentleman, known for his kind and compassionate nature. He had a wonderful sense of humor, with a dry wit that could bring laughter to any room. Tom was particularly skilled at imitating famous comedians and had a knack for various accents. He especially loved the arts, and enjoyed plays, movies, museums, drawing, and reading.
Tom is survived by his sister, Mary Hopkins King (Rod), and his brother, William Daniel Hopkins. He also leaves behind his brothers-in-law, Mark Powers (Jeanne) and Hugh Powers (Danielle), sister-in-law, Julie Powers, nephew Steven King (Allison), nieces Amy O'Reilly (Brian), Lisa Perkins (Ryan), Stacy Bazemore (Jeff), Kimberly Bailey (Michael), Mara Pluto (Rich), Kate Powers, and Audrey Powers, as well as numerous other beloved great-nieces, great-nephews, and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Geraldine Powers Hopkins, and his parents, William Pryor and Lela Rivers Hopkins.
Tom grew up in Memphis, TN, attending Colonial Elementary and Colonial Junior High in Memphis, followed by Overton High School. He then pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Memphis State University, graduating in 1975, where he participated in many theatrical productions, including Shakespeare's The Comedy of Errors, where he played one of the lead twins.
Tom decided to move to New York City soon after college where he met the love of his life, Geri, in the early 80s. They married in Cape May, NJ, on September 17, 1983. A few years later, they managed to buy an apartment in Hudson Heights at 689 Ft. Washington Avenue, where they would live together for nearly 30 years until Geri's death in 2013. Their apartment building was a special place where they made lifelong friends, and hosted family and friends for many celebrations.
Geri was truly Tom's muse, as well as the woman of his dreams. While he continued to work for a couple of large banks, and later a large law firm in information technology, Geri encouraged him to write plays, some of which were optioned for off Broadway. Tom also wrote an unpublished novel in the 1990s. Tom was truly thankful for Geri: he had the initials, DGYLCE, engraved in her wedding ring which stood for "Dearest Geri, your love changed everything." Tom was profoundly changed by Geri's death, but always thankful for their life together. Raised in and baptized in the Methodist Church as a young adult, Tom decided to become Catholic by studying the Rite of Christian Initiation in 2000 at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City after many years of attending Catholic Churches with Geri.
Tom's memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 26, 2023, at 11 am at Memorial Park Funeral Home. Visitation will begin at 10 am. Friends and family are invited to pay their respects and celebrate Tom's life during this time. His ashes will be buried at a later date next to Geri at St. Mary's Cemetary in Cape May, NJ.
In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital or any charity of choice. Tom's caring nature extended beyond his loved ones, and he would be honored to support causes that help others in need.
Please join us in remembering and celebrating the life of Thomas Richard Hopkins, a cherished brother, uncle, and friend. May his memory live on in our hearts forever. In addition, Tom would want us to remember the wonderful caregivers who cared for him during the last difficult months of his life, especially Emmalee Harris and Pam Gurley, as well as Compassus Hospice.
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