Stephen Owen Hopkins, former village of Goshen, NY, mayor, Goshen town supervisor, and village fire chief, passed away on March 2 in Ocala, Florida. He was 85.
The son of Elizabeth Hess (Harford) Hopkins and Henry Wadsworth Hopkins — and a namesake and descendant of a Mayflower passenger and a signer of the Declaration of Independence — he was born and raised in Goshen. He attended Goshen central schools and Blair Academy before enrolling at the Rochester Institute of Technology. He also served a two-year tour with the New York National Guard.
Hopkins had a storied, 50-plus-year career with Goshen’s Cataract Engine & Hose Fire Company, serving as its president for two terms (1981-83 and 2005-07). He also served as chief of the Goshen Fire Department and as Orange County’s deputy fire coordinator.
His role in Goshen municipal government and civic life was expansive and included six years as village mayor, two years as town supervisor, a 22-year stint on the Goshen Savings Bank board, a term as the Goshen Rotary’s president, and long-time membership in the Chamber of Commerce. He was also a Goshen Masonic Lodge member.
For many years, he led the Goshen mainstay and Main Street anchor Hopkins Hardware, a business founded by his grandfather, Edward A. Hopkins, and subsequently managed by Stephen’s father, also a former Goshen mayor. At its founding in the 1890s, the business included blacksmith services for trotters and pacers that became closely identified with Goshen’s heritage. The business was acquired in 1993 by Goshen Hardware.
Following its sale, Hopkins worked for Sutphen Fire Apparatus, R.D. Murray Fire Apparatus, SVI Rescue, and American LaFrance. He was also a partner in Upstate Limousine of Middletown and served as general manager, in 2006, of Goshen’s Historic Track.
He is survived by two daughters, Whitney Hopkins Lull (Clifford) of Hunt Valley, Md., and Brooke Wadsworth Tateossian (Johnny) of Ramsey, NJ; five grandchildren, Meredith Lull, Allie Lull Johnson (Earl), and Alexander, William and Grace Tateossian; a great granddaughter, Layne Crawford Johnson; nieces Dawn Pierce and Dana Newton; and nephew Drew Gillespie. He was predeceased by a sister, Margaret (Peggy) Gillespie.
Steve’s love for Goshen was bottomless and he returned often for holidays and special events to the town that is forever intertwined with his family’s legacy.
A memorial service will be held at St. James Episcopal Church, Goshen, on June 6, 2024. Burial is private. Donations may be sent to The Cataract Engine & Hose Company, PO Box 944, Goshen, NY 10924.
Arrangements were by Donovan Funeral Home, Inc., Goshen, NY.