John W. Hopper
John W. Hopper of Goshen died on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2015, at Orange Regional Medical Center in Middletown. He was 94.
Son of the late John Jacob Hopper and Kathryn (Beutel) Hopper, he was born on June 22, 1921, in Upper Saddle River, N.J. He formerly lived in Ramsey, Beachwood and Upper Saddle River, N.J.
He was an Army Air Corps veteran of World War II, serving in the European Theater, where he received the Good Conduct Medal, the American Campaign Medal, the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. After returning from military service, he and his brother, Andrew, founded Hopper Bros. Builders. They were master carpenters who built quality homes in the Bergen County area. Following his brother’s death, John retired from the building business and served as construction official, building subcode official, fire subcode official, zoning enforcement officer and director of public works for the Borough of Upper Saddle River. He was an ex-chief of the Upper Saddle River Fire Department, an exempt fireman, a member of the American Legion, and a lifetime member of the Saddle River Reformed Church.
As a native son of the Borough of Upper Saddle River, he made service to the town he loved a high priority. In addition to the many positions he held in municipal government, he was an advisor to the Upper Saddle River Historical Society. He was very proud of his family’s history, and his ancestors built the home that is now the Hopper-Goetschius Museum.
Survivors include two sons, Alan C. Hopper and his companion, Roseann Lettieri, of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., and John W. Hopper Jr. of Middletown, N.Y.; grandchildren, Kristen M. Edge and her husband, Daniel, Michael A. Hopper and his wife, Kathryn, and Kathryn A. Lucas and her husband, James, all of Middletown, N.Y.; great-grandchildren, Lauren Elizabeth Edge, John Matthew Hopper, Dean Michael Lucas, Lucille Marie Hopper, and Jack Andrew Lucas; one sister-in-law, Anne Hopper of Milford, Pa.; and several nieces and nephews.
He was pre-deceased by his wife of 61 years, Doris E. (Fischer) Hopper; brothers, Reginald L. Hopper and Andrew L. Hopper; sisters, Muriel Backman, Ruth Ackerman and Kathryn Cameron; and daughter-in-law, Patti Marie Hopper.
Visitation was scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. on Aug. 18 at Applebee-McPhillips Funeral Home, 130 Highland Ave., Middletown, N.Y.; and on Aug. 19 at 11 a.m. at the Saddle River Reformed Church, 500 East Saddle River Road, Upper Saddle River, N.J.; followed by funeral services at 11:30 a.m. and interment with military honors immediately following in the church cemetery.