Edward Adrian Hopkins
Class of 1950
Edward Adrian Hopkins (Tilly’s, 1947-1950)
Edward Adrian Hopkins, who was known as Adrian, died on the 6th June 2021, leaving behind him three children: Rebecca, Helen and Peter.
He attended St Edward’s in the 1940s before going on to medical school in London.
Adrian always lived his life to the full, seizing each day and making the most of every hour he was given. Right up until his very last days in the hospice, he was talking about wanting to get back home to his many hobbies.
Adrian was born on September 3rd, 1932 and his early life was spent in the Himalayas. His father was a Superintendent of the Indian Mounted Police, so Adrian’s childhood was spent with his brother and two sisters, outdoors in the sunshine and chasing butterflies. He guarded these butterflies from the 1930s fiercely and they are still intact in a large old fashioned sweetie jar in little origami newspaper packets, carefully named and dated.
His sunny, carefree childhood in India was rudely interrupted at the end of the Second World War, when his family returned to England, which from his perspective seemed cold and miserable after late colonial India. He recalled looking out of the train window, leaving Simla and noticing that the family luggage had been left behind on the platform. After a long journey, the family arrived back to a freezing mid-winter in Oxford. Adrian recalled taking a long time to adjust to the cold weather and the loss of the great outdoors.
His father Teddy and mother Pen had great aspirations for their two boys Adrian and David and it was their determination that won Adrian a place at St Edward’s and David a spot at Magdalen College School, Oxford. Teddy’s commitment to the boys’ education was seen when he used to cycle from Kidlington to St Edward’s every day, steering Adrian’s own bicycle in his right hand. This would no doubt be a traffic offence these days. Both boys went on to be GPs and shared an intellectual thirst and curiosity for a range of different subjects.
When Adrian was training to be a doctor in London, he met and married his first wife Caroline and they had one daughter, Rebecca. His wanderlust and love of travelling emerged again in the early days of his working life, when Adrian and his family spent a year working in Canada in the 1960s. This spell in the prairies of Saskatchewan set the blueprint for his later working life, when he returned to live in Canada again in the late 1970s with his second wife, Penelope and children Helen and Peter.
Adrian embraced the culture, the people and the stark snow covered pine-tree countryside with open arms. He loved learning new skills such as ice fishing and was determined to better understand the people he served. As a doctor, he loved doing house calls, chatting to his patients and learning about their ways of life. Penelope was his great companion, even working with him in his medical centre as his secretary. Adrian was always eager to leave the office early on Wednesday afternoons to go sailing and this new hobby excited him for the next three decades of his life. The family loved to go for long walks in the ever-changing Canadian landscape of deep snow in the long winters, brilliantly coloured autumn leaves during the Fall and hot, hot blackfly filled summers.
When retirement arrived for Adrian, he returned to the UK in the early 1980s, settling in the chocolate box village of Corfe Castle, Dorset with Penelope, Helen and Peter. Never destined for a pipe and slippers, Adrian along with Penelope filled his days with new adventures. They continued to sail, not just locally but often to Greece and France to meet friends and enjoy the Mediterranean sunshine. Adrian maintained his network of friends worldwide through his ham radio hobbying, often entertaining people from other countries. By the 2000, Adrian and Penelope’s family had expanded with the arrival of five grandchildren: Florence, Megan, Mark, Eddie and Sune. Interestingly his family have perpetuated his love of travel and exploration, now living in three different countries.
Sadly Penelope died in 2019, leaving Adrian widowed and bereft. His incredible determination continued to shine through and he continued with his daily walks and his many hobbies, including: studying insects, wood and steel work. He was very sociable and kept in touch with his many friends, some of whom he had since childhood. His friendships and family provided him with a great source of sustenance, particularly towards the end. Adrian is much missed. His larger than life personality, love of travelling and love of old friends and meeting new people lives on and shines brightly.
Edward Adrian Hopkins – born 3rd September 1932, died 6th June 2021.
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