Isiah Garfield Hopkins, Sr. Obituary (1926

After a committed life of service Isiah Garfield Hopkins Sr. was called home to be with the Lord on Wednesday, March 5, 2014. Isiah, affectionately known as "Hop," was born on March 6, 1926 in the Orange County, Virginia town of Unionville. The youngest of Elijah and Julia Hopkins' six children, he spent his early years learning to play golf and football on the campus of the private Woodberry Forest School, where his parents worked for many years. He attended Madison County Elementary and upon graduation from Lightfoot High School, he was drafted into US Army in 1945 and served honorably until 1946. He matriculated at St. Paul's College in Lawrenceville, Virginia where he met his beloved "Pee-Wee," Bessie Louise Chatmon, through her brother, Billy Chatmon. Billy vouched for his football teammate's solid character, telling his sister she'd never find a better man and so began a lifelong romance. After attaining a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Isiah married his petite bride on August 12, 1950. He was soon called again into military service during the Korean War. Upon his return to civilian life, he worked in civil service at Camp Pickett, Virginia (now Fort Pickett) and Fort Story, Virginia in the hospital and in post engineering. He and Bessie were blessed with three children, Madison Wayne, Isiah Garfield Jr. and Monica Vernetta, with whom he shared his deep faith, love of Westerns and mischievous sense of humor. To help educate children beyond his brood of three, he began working in the Lunenburg County Public School System. During his 35-year tenure, he pursued graduate study in Administration and Supervision at Virginia State College in Petersburg, Virginia, receiving his M.A. in 1976. He worked as a teacher, assistant principal and later, as a special education supervisor. Isiah served on the Kenbridge Town Council, improving the sewage system and paving streets. Although he was still an employee of the county, he was instrumental in seeing that the black population would be represented fairly when redistricting took place. His dedication to justice would bravely impel him and a group of 15 others to bring suit (with the help of the ACLU) against Lunenburg County, forcing a special election in which he was voted one of the first two African-Americans elected to the County Board of Supervisors. He later became the Chairman in 1992. A real roll-up-his-sleeves-and-get-it-done kind of guy, even in retirement from Lunenburg Public Schools in 1988, Isiah balanced time with his precious Pee-Wee and their growing family of grand's and great-grand's; indulged his passion for fishing, hunting and gardening; and continued to serve his community and his church. Over the years he served faithfully on the Friends of Lunenburg Committee, the Legislative Steering Committee on Planning and Natural Resources of Virginia Association of Counties, Lunenburg County Ministries, #214 Free and Accepted Masons, the Rotary Club of Lunenburg County, Optimists Club, the Boy Scouts and the NAACP. He was an exemplary citizen and an impeccable gentleman, but make no mistake, he wasn't above a little trash-talking over a Cowboys game and knew how to call a play--he'd refereed football and basketball for years. And no matter your age, everyone was "boy" or "fella" and if you were naughty, "rascal" to him. Walk in a ballgown and heels, and still you'd get, "hey little fella," and a grin full of mischief. Our "Hop," our "Leroy" our I.G. Hopkins. Isiah leaves to cherish his memory his devoted wife Bessie; sons Madison (Linda) and Isiah Jr. (Sharon); daughter Monica; grandchildren Shaun (Tamara), Adriane, Brittany, Symone and Kara; great-grands Jamari, Rachel and Juliet; sisters-in-law, Laura Sanford and Lillian Chatmon; brother-in-law, David Tisdale, a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and many devoted friends. Preceded in death by both parents and his five siblings, Isiah was the last of that line, and truly one-of-a-kind. Funeral service will be held on Monday March 10, 2014 @ 12:noon at St. Matthew's Baptist Church 219 N. Broad St. Kenbridge, VA. 23944