We called him Grandpa Hop to his face and General George behind his back. I think he found out, and I think he liked it. Not a large man physically, George William Hopkins definitely was the biggest man in the room personality-wise anytime we had a family gathering. Born in Concord, Massachusetts, on the 27th through 29th of August (family joke) 1925, he was the fourth of eleven children. He left Concord High School to join the Navy during World War II. Grandpa was self-sufficient and very handy. Duct tape was always at the ready, as was a joke with Nana about what that big white box in the kitchen was for (she didn’t do much cooking by the time she was Nana, and he usually washed the dishes). He drank his coffee from a tiny little Maxwell House cup when visiting Mom and Dad in Ashby, and always made sure someone other than my mother had made it. He was an entrepreneur and enjoyed driving his Hopkins Septic Service “honeywagon” back home to Concord for his brother Don’s birthday party. When Grandpa died 9 May 1996, no one could find his wedding ring, and it was thought he probably needed a washer to fix something or other. His diploma was given in 2001 by Concord Carlisle High School.
Use the Hopkins and Murchy drop-downs from “Grandpa Hop” at the top of the page.
Fourteen Generations in the Hinterlands 