Rev. Richard Hamlin Hopkins

WEST BALDWIN – Rev. Richard Hamlin Hopkins, 100, died in Gorham on Nov. 15, 2022, following a long and gradual decline in health.

Richard was born April 17, 1922, in Gardiner to Edna and Leland Hopkins. He grew up in Augusta, graduated from Cony High School and worked as a grocery and laundry delivery driver for Augusta businesses to save money for college. Richard graduated from Gordon College and Gordon Divinity School in Boston, Mass. and was ordained in 1950.

He met his wife of 59 years, Winifred Adams Johnston, while serving as a youth pastor in the Boston, Mass. area. Together, they faithfully served Baptist churches in Coventry, R.I., Groton, Conn., Rockland and Gorham until 1990. Richard and Winifred retired to Rumney, N.H. where they volunteered extensively for Rumney Bible Conference. Rev. Hopkins occasionally filled in for vacationing clergy and served a Campton church as interim pastor. Winifred died in February of 2007.

Richard later married Ruth Chase Wessel and lived briefly in Florida. Ruth passed away in 2009. He lived at the home of his son and daughter-in-law in Baldwin for four years and held the Boston Post Cane for that town.

Richard is survived by his four children, Paul Hopkins and his wife Marilyn of West Baldwin, Grace Hurd and her husband Charles of Fort Washington, Pa., Ruth Taul and her husband Hans of Graz, Austria, and Lois Hasbrouck and her husband Thomas of Gorham. He has 15 grandchildren; and 20 great-grandchildren – living in Maine, Pennsylvania, Austria, Germany, and Serbia.

Richard’s family is profoundly grateful for the care he has received from the staff of Gorham House and Compassus Hospice.

There will be an hour of visiting at 10 a.m. followed by service at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10 at Dolby, Blaise & Segee located at 76 State Street, Gorham.

In lieu of flowers,

donations in Richard’s memory may be made to

New England Fellowship of Evangelicals

P.O. Box 599

Rumney, NH 03266 and/or

Compassus Living Foundation

503 N. Euclid Ave., Suite 9E

Bay City, MI 48706


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