Stephen H. Hopkins, 70

GILMANTON — Stephen Henry Hopkins, of Gilmanton, passed away on Oct. 7, 2026, after a long and courageous journey with cancer.

Born Aug. 15, 1956, in Berea, Kentucky, Stephen lived a life shaped by love of family, intellectual curiosity, service to others, resilience, and a deepening gratitude for the world around him.

He is survived by Judy Hopkins, his wife and partner in life for 50 years; his sons, Christopher Hopkins (Jacqueline Hopkins) of Wallingford, Pennsylvania, and Nathan Hopkins of Wethersfield, Connecticut; his beloved grandsons, Gregory Hopkins and Chase Hopkins; and his sister, Christine Fitzpatrick.

Stephen’s childhood took him from Berea to France, Iraq, and eventually Newport, Rhode Island. Those early experiences gave him a lifelong fascination with people, cultures, language, art, history, food, and travel. He attended St. Michael’s Country Day School and St. George’s School in Newport, before earning a degree in accounting from the University of Rhode Island.

At URI, Stephen met Judy in the dining hall. He asked whether he could join Judy and a friend for dinner. The friend said no; Judy said yes. That small moment began a partnership that would span five decades. Stephen later described Judy as the love of his life and his hero.

Stephen began his professional life as a certified public accountant at Arthur Andersen & Co. before moving into investment management. His career included senior leadership roles at Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Citigroup, Roundtable Investment Partners, and Ballentine Partners.

Yet Stephen came to believe that the achievements of a resume were far less important than what he called the virtues of a eulogy; whether we were loving, dependable, courageous, generous, and faithful. In the later chapters of his life, leadership increasingly meant service, using one’s experience, judgment, and resources to help others flourish.

Family was at the center of that understanding. Stephen was immensely proud of Christopher and Nathan and cherished being a grandfather to Gregory and Chase. He also believed family relationships had to be nurtured intentionally. He began a tradition of family reunions that brought relatives together across generations and geography, creating opportunities to reconnect, strengthen relationships, learn about family history, and build shared memories. He hoped that tradition would continue long after him.

Stephen found joy in travel, art, music, old houses, nature, food, and wine. Cooking was one of his favorite ways of caring for people. His mother introduced him to French cooking as a boy, and over the years his repertoire expanded to Italian, Chinese, Indian, and Middle Eastern cuisine. Whether using vegetables from Judy’s garden or ingredients from local farms, Stephen viewed preparing a meal as an expression of love.

After leaving Connecticut, Stephen and Judy made their home in Gilmanton, where he found the quieter, nature-centered life he had long imagined. He served his community through the Conservation Commission and served nationally on the board of the National Philanthropic Trust. He believed stewardship of the natural world was both a gift and a responsibility.

Stephen endured mantle cell lymphoma and head and neck cancer through years of chemotherapy, radiation, stem-cell transplantation, CAR-T therapy, surgeries, and recurrence. Illness changed his understanding of life but never extinguished his hope. He came to regard every additional day as a gift and sought to live with greater intention, compassion, and attention to the people around him. His faith deepened as well, drawing on Christianity, prayer, contemplation, nature, and wisdom from other traditions.

Stephen was candid about his imperfections. He regretted time lost to career and ambition, acknowledged mistakes, sought forgiveness, and continually hoped to become wiser and to love better. That humility was as much a part of him as his accomplishments. He remained deeply curious throughout his life and believed that learning, travel, conversation, and service could continually widen a person’s understanding of the world.

He described his journey simply: “There and back again. I started my journey cradled in the love of God and my family and have found my way back there again.”

He was profoundly grateful for the journey, the challenges, the beauty, the people who loved him, and the opportunity to love them in return. His life will continue in the family he cherished, the reunion tradition he began, the colleagues he mentored, the communities he served, the land he helped preserve, and the countless meals, conversations, kindnesses, and acts of generosity through which he cared for others.

In the end, Stephen believed that life is achingly short and that our surest compass is love. He followed that compass home.

A reception will be held at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 30, at the Smith Meeting House School Building, 451 Meeting House Road.

A celebration of life will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 30, also in the school building.

A graveside service will be held on Friday, Oct. 30, following the celebration of life at Smith Meeting.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Stephen Hopkins’ memory to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, P.O. Box 849168, Boston, MA 02284, or online at dana-farber.org/gift; or to the Gilmanton Conservation Commission, P.O. Box 550, Gilmanton, NH 03237.

Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, is assisting the family with arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, visit wilkinsonbeane.com.