Oscar Earl Hopkins Jr

Age 95, passed away peacefully at his home on Monday, August 18, 2014. He was born in Guthrie, OK, to Oscar Earle Hopkins Sr. and Elinor Slagle Stinson. He is preceded in death by his parents, and his son, Mark Alan Hopkins. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1939. Hoppy, as he was known, served in the US Air Force during WWII obtaining the rank of Major. He was stationed at Wright Patterson AFB where he met his wife, Betty Elaine Toy. After the war, he went to the Philippines and Japan to help with the reconstruction projects. In 1953, the family moved to Albuquerque where Hoppy was employed as a Civilian Engineer at Kirtland AFB. After retiring in 1973, he worked for the University of New Mexico doing research into the effects of nuclear blast waves on various structures, famously blowing up the desert with dynamite at regular intervals. He was even featured on Walter Cronkite CBS News after one particularly spectacular blast outside of Lake Havasu, Arizona. Hoppy was very involved with his children's lives including youth horse shows, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. He was a lifetime member of Masonic Temple Lodge No. 6, active in La Noche Garden Club and participated in the KAFB MOAA Ski Club in his later years. In his retirement he spent a great deal of time babysitting his grand-dogs while his older daughter traveled for work, attended NASCAR races with his younger daughter and her husband, but his real joy was attending the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta for over 30 years, the last one being this past April. He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Betty; sister, Jane Goodall; daughters, Lynn Hopkins and Amy (Hopkins) Gorcyzca and her husband, Fred; daughter-in-law, Patricia Johns Hopkins; granddaughters, Sarah Dixon and her husband, Jed, Michelle Hannah and her husband, John, Kristen Holdren and her husband, Chris, Angela Portwood and her husband, Chris; great-grandchildren, Hunter and Brooke Dixon, Lauren and Ben Hannah, Carter Portwood, and Evelyn Holdren; and many nieces, nephews, and multitudes of friends. A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, August 23, 2014, at 6:00 P.M. at FRENCH-University. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Wounded Warriors.