1938 - 2025
COOPERSTOWN – Joan M. Hopkins, 86, of Cooperstown, entered eternal rest Thursday afternoon, June 19, 2025, at her home on Browdy Mountain Road, surrounded by family and loved ones.
She was born on December 7, 1938, in Binghamton, a daughter of John and Annabelle Effley. Joan graduated from Utica Free Academy in Utica and then successfully pursued a teaching degree at SUNY Potsdam. While at SUNY Potsdam, Joan met her beloved husband, James J. Hopkins. On July 1, 1961, Joan married Jim in a ceremony at St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church in Utica.
In their early years, Joan and Jim lived in Potsdam, Tallahassee, Florida, Ann Arbor, Michigan and Zurich, Switzerland. They finally settled down in Bay Shore in 1977 where Joan was an elementary school teacher for the Bay Shore Public School District until her retirement in 1996. Before retiring, however, they moved to Westhampton. Finally, in June of 2002, Joan and Jim moved from Westhampton to Cooperstown and settled into their home at the very top of Browdy Mountain Road, overlooking Otsego Lake.
Joan and Jim were active communicants of St. Patrick’s Catholic Parish in Bay Shore for many years. Upon moving to Cooperstown, they became equally involved with the Parish family of St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Roman Catholic Church, where Joan sang in the choir, which was led by Jim who served as Director of Music Liturgy.
Joan and Jim loved to entertain and to spend their summers at their river house on the St. Lawrence River in Oak Point. There they would invite family and friends to visit and stay for as long as they liked.
Joan was the loving mother of four sons, Christopher Hopkins and his wife, Sarah of Gainesville, Georgia, Timothy Hopkins and his wife, Carol, of Great River, Sean Hopkins and his wife, Athena, of Cooperstown and Matthew Hopkins and his wife, Adrienne, of Ames. She was also the beloved grandmother of Annie, Andrew, Thomas, Daniel, Olivia, Vivian, Peter, Aliza, Sullivan, John, James and Benjamin.
Joan was preceded in death by Jim, who died May, 24, 2008.
Joan’s family will receive friends from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, June 25, 2025, at the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 2 p.m. Thursday, June 26, 2025, at St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Roman Catholic Church in Cooperstown, with the Very Rev. Michael G. Cambi, Pastor officiating.
The Service of Committal and Burial will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Index, where Joan will be laid to rest alongside her beloved Jim.
In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy in the form of memorial gifts may be made to St. Mary’s “Our Lady of the Lake” Roman Catholic Church, 31 Elm Street, Cooperstown, NY 13326.
Arrangements are under the care and guidance of the Connell, Dow & Deysenroth Funeral Home in Cooperstown.
If you would like to send condolences to the family, send an email to Connell, Dow & Deysenroth. We will forward your comments to the family. If you would like to send flowers in memory of the deceased, contact Mohican Flowers at (607) 547-8822, or A Rose is a Rose at (607) 264-3100.
