A. Thomas Hopson Sr.
A. Thomas Hopson Sr., known to most as “Turk,” died at the Westhampton Care Center on Thursday, April 28. He was 90.
Mr. Hopson was born April 6, 1921, in Skippers, Virginia, to John and Lillar Hopson. He moved with his family to Bridgehampton in 1928 and attended Bridgehampton High School.
In 1942 he married Annie V. Hobson, and they had seven children. He served in the U.S. Army as a staff sergeant and fought in World War II. He joined the Bridgehampton First Baptist Church and became a member of the choir.
Mr. Hopson served as the president of the board at the Bridgehampton Childcare and Recreational Center where he worked diligently to raise the funds necessary to keep the center operating. He was also an active participant in voter registration, encouraging people to get out to vote for the school budget, to ensure funding for the childcare center.
He had a successful business as a general contractor and was known for his meticulous work ethics and honesty. He was one of the founding members of the Black Businessmen’s Association.
He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Annie; children, Joyce Watts, June Poole, Janice Hopson, A. Thomas Hopson Jr., Bruce and his wife Trina Hopson, and Leonard and his wife Francenia Hopson; siblings, Martha and Fred Craggette, Mary Taylor and Mamie Johnson, William and Bertha Hopson, and Russell and Mary Hopson; grandchildren and great-grandchildren, as well as a host of relatives and friends.
He was predeceased by his daughter, Doris A. Saunders; brothers, Rufus, Arthur and John Hopson; sisters Florence Turner and Katie Person.
Visitation was Wednesday, May 4, at the First Baptist Church of Bridgehampton. A memorial service was held at the church Thursday, May 5; the Reverend Frank Bryant officiating. Interment with military honors followed at Edgewood Cemetery in Bridgehampton. Funeral arrangements were under the direction of the Brockett Funeral Home in Southampton.
on May 9, 2011