Violet Adele Hopkins

Violet Adele Hopkins passed away peacefully at her home on Tuesday, June 14 after a five year battle with ovarian cancer. She was a Los Alamos resident for forty five years. Adele was born on August 15, 1934, the fourth child of Walter A. and Violet C. Herrigel of Seattle, Washington. She graduated from Garfield High School and entered the University of Washington in 1952, where she studied chemistry and met her future husband John C. Hopkins. While in college she continued a family tradition working as a long distance telephone operator as had both her mother and grandmother. She married John, son of William S. and Anna C. Hopkins in Seattle on June 13, 1954. She was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa and Sigma Xi honor societies and graduated magna cum laude in 1956. Adele and John first came to Los Alamos when John was a summer student in 1955 and in 1956 they both worked as summer students. They returned permanently in the spring of 1960. Their first daughter Anna was born in 1961 and their second daughter, Barbara was born two years later while the family spent a year in England. Adele was a loving stay-at-home mom to her daughters. Adele volunteered enthusiastically for the League of Women Voters and the Girl Scouts. She was a member of the League of Women Voters from 1960 to 2005, serving several times as an officer including several terms as President of the local League and three terms as President of the NM League. She served as a Girl Scout leader from 1968 to 1974. Adele returned to chemistry in 1976, working in CMB-1 as an analytical actinide chemist and was a section leader at the time of her retirement in 1993. She was a member of the Los Alamos Women in Science. Adele enjoyed an active retirement and served on numerous local and state committees. She was a trustee on the state board of the Nature Conservancy, and served on several citizens' committees for both LANL and Los Alamos County. Adele was a talented cook and an avid reader. She loved many outdoor activities including swimming, hiking, backpacking, hunting, and skiing. She and John enjoyed sailing along the Pacific coast, in the Caribbean, the Greek and Turkish isles, and Hawaii. They also traveled extensively on all six inhabited continents. This included a journey down the now flooded three gorges of the Yangtze River; a photo safari in Africa; visits to Egypt, Greece, Turkey, several south Pacific islands, Machu Picchu, and Kashmir; crossing the Atlantic on a freighter; and following the silk road from Xian across China and over the Himalayas to Pakistan. Adele and John also enjoyed visiting their daughters and their grandson, Torin. He was born just a year before Adele became ill and she was very pleased to have been given five more years to forge a close relationship with him. Adele was preceded in death by her parents, Walter A. Herrigel and Violet Cleo Herrigel ; her brother, Frank Albert Herrigel; and infant son, Stephen Leonard Hopkins. She is survived by her husband of 51 years John C. Hopkins of Los Alamos, NM; two daughters, Anna Adele Hopkins-Arnold and her husband Mark D. Arnold of Durango, CO and Barbara Ellen Hopkins of Dayton, OH; and one grandson, Torin S. Hopkins-Arnold. She is also survived by two brothers, Howard R. Herrigel and his wife Judith of Seattle, WA and Walter G. Herrigel and his wife Dorothy of Centennial, CO; by sister-in-law, Sally A. Hopkins of Kodiak, AK; brother-in-law W. Stephen Hopkins, Jr. and his wife Terry of Orcas Island, WA; and by nieces Donna Kawcak, Wendy Laws, Molly Blair, Nancy Babienko, Gaye Trout, and Candice Jackins and nephews, Ralph, Keith, and David Herrigel, and Edward Wilson. She was beloved by many and will be missed. A memorial celebration of her life will be held at a date and time to be announced. In lieu of flowers please donate to your favorite charity. The Rivera Family of Block-Salazar Mortuary is providing the family of V. Adele Hopkins with care and professional services. 505-753-2288 or 1-800-443-4854