The Reverend Charles E. Hopson

The Reverend Charles Earle Hopson was a man who wore many hats. He was pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church in East Hampton, chaplain for the East Hampton Town Police Department, a longtime member of the NAACP, a member of the East End Baptist Council and was active with the East Hampton Town Anti-Bias Task Force.

“Pastor Hopson was a valuable leader in the communities,” his family wrote in an obituary after his death on July 2. “He loved to help people as much as he could.”

The life of Reverend Hopson, who died at the age of 59, was celebrated at his church on Saturday with the Reverend Marvin Dozier of the Unity Baptist Church in Mattituck officiating. “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith,” said a program for the service, citing II Timothy 4:7.

Reverend Hopson had been the pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church since 1997. “He was an outstanding pastor, and he tried to deal with everybody equally,” said Henry Haney, a deacon at the church. “He was very faithful as a pastor,” Mr. Haney said.

“To God Be the Glory” was one of his favorite songs, his obituary said. “He would often grab the microphone and sing his heart out!”

Reverend Hopson also worked as the head custodian at Southampton High School. “Earle was a great guy,” said Randy Dobler, the director of buildings and grounds for the school district. “Everybody got along with him well. He was a very likeable guy; he had a very calm demeanor.”

“He was in the position when I got here; he was here probably close to 20 years,” Mr. Dobler said. “He did an excellent job for us.”

Before moving on to the school district, Reverend Hopson had served for many years as director of the youth development program at the Bridgehampton Child Care Center. East Hampton Town Police Chief Ed Ecker Jr. met Mr. Hopson when both worked on youth projects at the center during the 1970s and, more recently, when Reverend Hopson served as police chaplain.

“Besides being a friend and a very good chaplain, our spiritual leader for the last eight years,

he held the rank of honorary captain,” Chief Ecker said Friday, adding that the police planned to send an honor guard for his wake and the funeral. “He was a good man,” the chief said.

Reverend Hopson lived in East Hampton with his wife, the former Sheila Ann Wyche. They were married on August 23, 1975, and had three children, Shatina, Charles Earle II and Shalyn.

Reverend Hopson was born on July 29, 1952, in Southampton to Arthur and Margaret Hopson, who predeceased him. He was a member of the National Honor Society at the Bridgehampton School and graduated as salutatorian of the class of 1970.

In addition to working at the Bridgehampton Child Care Center, he worked at Boys Harbor and was the Bridgehampton boys junior high basketball coach. He also played on the school basketball team.

Reverend Hopson was called to the church beginning in 1980, leading to his being ordained at the First Baptist Church of Bridgehampton under the leadership of Reverend Henry Faison Jr. in 1985. Reverend Hopson served in Bridgehampton until he moved to Shiloh Baptist Church of Southold, where in 1991 he began to serve as pastor-elect at that church. He was installed as pastor in 1992 and served in that role for five years.

He was named the pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in East Hampton in May 1997.

Reverend Hopson leaves his wife, Sheila Ann Hopson (née Wyche), and their three children, Shatina Moore of Riverhead, Charles Hopson II of East Hampton and Shalyn Hopson of Herndon, Virginia, as well as eight grandchildren, Rasheen, Reginald, Ryun and Ravon Moore of Riverhead, Enaya Hopson of Riverhead, Isabella and Lilliana Hopson of East Hampton and Cameron Pritchard of Herndon.

In addition, he is survived by two brothers, Arthur Hopson Jr. of Bridgehampton and Wayne Hopson of Sag Harbor, and three sisters, Betty Hite of Southampton, Margaret Proctor of Southampton and Julie Hopson of Bridgehampton. A sister, Loretta Pinckney, died before him.

Also surviving are his mother-in-law, Gloria Williams of Barco, North Carolina; two godchildren, Alaya Brown and Jamal Proctor; six brothers-in-law; four sisters-in-law; and a host of uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Burial was at Edgewood Cemetery in Bridgehampton.