Charles Hoppock

Hoppock, Charles L. , 91, went home to his Savior on July 22, 2018. Memorial service 10:30 am, Thursday, July 26, at Bethel Life Center. He is survived by his wife, Wanda; son, Dr. Kevin (Lori) Hoppock; daughter, Karen (Tate) Smith; brother, Jack (Betty) Hoppock; sister, Regina Nelson; 6 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

Charles was born in a farmhouse south of Mound Valley in southeastern Kansas. Born to Freeman and Delpha Hoppock, Charles became the fourth generation of Hoppocks to work the farms of the county and learned early how to work hard helping the family get by during the Great Depression. He had two brothers, Gerald and Jack, and one sister, Regina. Although the times were tough, he would always smile as he talked about early life with his siblings. Not so much about the backbreaking work as the hunting and fishing, as well as the school programs that became the social center of the community.

Although farm life helped to form him, after receiving an effective technical education in Altamont, he made his way to the aircraft manufacturing plants of Wichita, where he lived and worked before and throughout WWII. He completed an extensive apprenticeship to become a tool and die maker, and when he joined the army he was sent to Germany to run an instrument repair shop.

He met his wife, Wanda, through mutual friends while working at Beech Aircraft. After a short courtship they were married and began their family, adding Kevin in 1964 and Karen in 1968.

Charles left the manufacturing and machining world to pursue an opportunity to start a business of his own. He spent nearly twenty years building and growing a cosmetic franchise. After the business closed, he and Wanda began slowly acquiring property that they rented out.  They lived frugally, worked those properties hard, and invested the difference. Through hard work and persistence over many years, they transitioned from generational poverty to relative wealth and diligently instilled those values and principles in their family.

Three organizations that received his very best were the church, through his tireless labor at Calvary Assembly of God; the Boy Scouts, where he earned a Silver Beaver award for leadership and served as assistant district commissioner, fund raiser, and camp inspector; and of course, his family, which he saw as his primary life’s calling.

In addition to his six grandchildren and two great-grandchildren (one who is his namesake), Charles leaves a powerful legacy that includes the centrality of family, the value of hard work, and a habitual gratitude for the rich blessings and beauty that surround us all.