Jerald Hopkins Obituary

May you rest in peace I´ll never forget our memories together

I´ll miss him he was my art teacher he was super nice and he also was my sister´s English teacher in middle school he was a good guy and showed me so many techniques on doing new art he really inspired me to keep going and never ever give up.
In my memories Mr. Hopkins <3

My best friends growing up were Mike and Jeff Hopkins. I met Jeff first at a summer camp between 3rd and 4th grade at Swope Park. We stayed friends after that, so I started hanging out with Mike too. Mike was a few months older than me but we were in the same grade.

I spent many nights over at their house, cracking jokes, making audio cassette skits, and then wandering around on foot throughout Westport and the Plaza. There was a freedom to wander outdoors that children had in the 70s and 80s that I don´t think exists today. We´d climb up onto the roof of Beatty Stereo on Westport Road and watch all the traffic and people below.

My first foray into 8mm filmmaking was with Mike and Jeff. Unfortunately, the first time we threaded the film wrong and it came back from the developer all black. Which is too bad because it involved Jeff as a caveman by the train tracks and culminated in a dummy being thrown off my apartment balcony.
Later we graduated to Super 8 and made a film that spoofed Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan and featured a futuristic version of The People´s Court.

Much of my love of film began with Mike as he, Jeff and I saw a lot of movies together. UMKC would show 16mm prints of films and we all saw a double feature of "Monty Python & The Holy Grail" and "And Now For Something Completely Different". We also saw a John Belushi triple feature of "Animal House", "The Blues Brothers" and "1941". Movies, comedy and Mike & Jeff cannot be separated in my mind. Those childhood experiences blend them all together.

We both went to Lincoln Junior High School. But I moved to Denver in 1983 and didn´t see him much after that. Maybe once or twice in the 80s when I came back to Kansas City to visit.

I will miss him.

Mike, thank you for sharing our years at SWHS together, and may you rest with the angels. May your family (Jamie and all) be comforted by the memories and love you shared. Thanks for being part of my life. pg

I was so sad to see this today. Mike always made me smile. He had the best sense of humor and it was a pleasure to have him as a friend in junior and senior high school. He always had a smile on his face.

Dear Jamie and Family, Robert and I are so profoundly sorry for your loss. May his memory be a blessing. Love to your entire family. Janet and Robert Bloom

I found out about Mike´s passing earlier today from a great friend who I would never have met if it wasn´t for Mike introducing us. I have had this open all day enjoying seeing Mike after so many years of not being in touch. I am filled with gladness reading about his full life. I met Mike in Jr. High and was thrilled to find him again at KU when we lived in the Arts Dorm. He was in a band and invited me to join and it led me to a whole new world of friends and community which has meant the world to me. We had some adventures together as we had some shared interests. Besides the band, we had a Jazz radio show together and we even both worked at an insect museum and at a midnight-shift medical supply factory together. I love that Mike found his way to being an ELA and Art teacher. I like to think he would be amused and enthused that I have finally found my way to do the exact same thing as I will be taking my KU ELA degree plus a Master of ED into the classroom soon.Thank you, Mike Hopkins for showing the way.

Rest easy my friend!

Very sorry to see this. Mike was an integral part of our class at Southwest. Although I had not seen him in way too long, his obituary brings back good memories of his kindness, creativity, intelligence, and outstanding sense of humor. I can still remember some of his wit and it will make me laugh out loud almost 40 years later. A special person who we hoped to see again. Best to all who loved him.

In loving memory of a wonderful person. We will love you and miss you always.