THOMAS A. HOPKINS, age 81 died peacefully at home surrounded by family. Beloved husband of Sharlene Hopkins (nee Kasson), loving father of Jason, Amy, and Matt. Beloved grandfather of Savannah and Lottie; dearest son of the late Lenore (nee Fox) and Donald; devoted loving brother of the late Diane Ketterer (Bill) and Joan; uncle of Kim (Dennis), Mark (Jackie) and Jeff (Mary).

Tom grew up in the West Park neighborhood of Cleveland and attended St. Patrick school where he formed cherished life long friendships with Bill Vacha, Mike Berichon, Dave Nemeth, and Neil Farrell(deceased). As a kid Tom had an intense love and enthusiasm for countless recreational sporting activities. He attended St. Edward High School (‘63’) and graduated from Cleveland State University with a BSE , eventually returning to St. Pat’s where he met his wife of 51 years, Sharlene. Tom had a passion for fishing and connecting with people. He enjoyed the fun and companionship of his Boxers- Duke1, Duke 2, Guinness, and Max. He enjoyed coaching and attending his children’s sports throughout the years. He relished family backyard baseball games, intense ping pong matches in the basement, and weekend excursions to skip rocks in the valley with his kids and dogs. Tom had a passion for connecting with and encouraging young people to question and explore. He will be sorely missed by his friends and family. We continue to honor Tom by cherishing our time with friends and family. To paraphrase his favorite poet, Robert Frost, he “took the road less traveled by”- and that made a lasting difference.

Mass of Christian Burial Saturday, June 20, St. Patrick Church (West Park) at 9:30 AM. Inurnment Holy Cross Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers contributions to Reserve Care (formerly Hospice of the Western Reserve) Reserve-care or the Cleveland A.P.L., Cleveland Animal Protective League