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Note: Wayne William Hopson
h t t p : / / w w w . l e g a c y . c o m / o b i t u aries/delmarvanow/obituary.aspx?n=wayne-hopson&pid=158416695&fhid=7892
SALISBURY - Wayne William Hopson died Thursday, July 5, 2012, at Coastal Hospice at the Lake in Salisbury at the age of 86. Wayne is survived by his beloved wife of 67 years, Lela Gomes Hopson.
Wayne was born on Sept. 19, 1925, in Bedford, Iowa, to the late Carl and Cynthia Hopson. As a young boy, Wayne and his family survived the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, moving from Iowa to the Pacific Northwest where, as a young man, Wayne and his father helped build the Grand Coulee Dam in Washington state and the Shasta Dam in California.
During World War II, Wayne enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a soundman second class petty officer aboard the U.S.S. Zellars (DD777) destroyer in the Pacific. In April 1945, while screening for larger ships off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, the U.S.S. Zellars came under kamikaze attack by three Japanese bomber planes, known as "Jills." More than 30 crewmen were killed in the attack and more than 30 were injured, including Wayne. For his combat wounds, including partial hearing loss, Wayne was awarded the Purple Heart.
After his service in the war, Wayne returned home and married Lela, his teenage sweetheart, true love and wife of 67 years. Wayne graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where he studied food technology. He began his career with the Campbell Soup Co. in Sacramento, Calif. During his time with Campbell, Wayne and his family lived in many parts of the country, and he ended his career as a production manager in Pocomoke City. He retired from Campbell after 40 years of service.
Wayne was an active member of the Junior Achievement organization and the Pocomoke Kiwanis Club, serving several years as president. In his spare time, Wayne enjoyed fishing, cycling, hobby farming and working out with his friends at the YES Gym. He took pleasure in his dogs, Sammy and Lila, his rabbits and all the things growing around him, especially his family.
Wayne is survived by his loving wife, Lela; two sisters, Doris McMillian of Anderson, Calif., and Donna Whidden of Los Angeles; brother-in-law, Norm Waters of San Diego; two sons, Dennis Hopson and his wife, Kathy, and Dr. Alan Hopson and his wife, Dr. Natalie, all of Salisbury; four grandchildren, Daniel Hopson and his wife, Carrie, of Pensacola, Fla., Jessica Eisemann and her husband, Ryan, of Salisbury, Dr. Matthew Hopson and his wife, Kelle, of Williamsburg, Va., and Mark Hopson, J.D., of Alexandria, Va.; and four great-grandchildren, Spencer and Alyson Eisemann and Ellie and Pierce Hopson. Sadly, Wayne will miss the birth of his fifth great-grandchild at the end of July to the eager parents, Matthew and Kelle Hopson.
Wayne was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Gail and Raymond Hopson.
Wayne, affectionately known by many as "Poppy," will be deeply missed by his family and friends.
A funeral service will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Holloway Funeral Home in Salisbury, with a visitation one hour prior to the ceremony.
Online condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.hollowayfh.com..
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in his memory to Coastal Hospice, PO Box 1733, Salisbury, Md. 21802.
The family extends their sincere appreciation to all the doctors, nurses, staff and friends at the Fresnius Dialysis Center, Deer's Head State Hospital, The Village at Harbor Pointe, Peninsula Regional Medical Center, Johns Hopkins and Coastal Hospice at the Lake for their exceptional care and concern during Wayne's prolonged illness.
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