Henry C. Hopewell Jr., 89, of Fort Myers, Fla. and Vinalhaven, died May 19 at Shell Point Pavilion in Fort Myers, following an extended illness.
Born June 22, 1920, on his grandfather’s, U.S. Senator John Hopewell farm in Natick, Mass., he was the son of Henry C. Sr., and Hilda Prince Hopewell. Growing up in Newton Center, Mass., his summers were spent in Wolfeboro, N.H.
He was a 1935 graduate of The Choate School, Wallingford, Conn., and for the next two years studied at Bard College – Columbia University. Enlisting in the U.S. Navy, he was Commissioned as a Lieutenant J.G., and served a consecutive tour in the Pacific, from 1942 to 1945. His ship, the USS Botetourt was in Tokyo Bay, where he witnessed the signing of the Peace Treaty with Japan.
Returning to civilian life in Wolfeboro, N.H., he had multiple business interests. Some of these included development of the Dockside Restaurant which still operates today at the town docks; development of the old town dump into Clark Plaza shopping center; and turning his construction office into the Patio Shop at Parsons Furniture.
In the 1960s, he moved to Maine to continue real estate development and building projects. He moved his family to Camden and Vinalhaven, where he developed and operated Vinalhaven Fuel Corporation. While living in Vinalhaven, he particularly enjoyed exploring Penobscot Bay by boat.
On April 6, 1990, he married Vicki Cahill Madden and together they established a home in Damariscotta Mills. With his wife and friends, he enjoyed traveling, including many trips to Costa Rica, as well as trips to the English countryside, Tuscany and Sicily.
Other than his parents, Mr. Hopewell was predeceased by his step-father, James Seaver; brother, Robert P. Hopewell; and step-brother, Robert B. Seaver.
Other than his wife of Damariscotta Mills, he is survived by two daughters of a previous marriage to Pamela Sturgis, Hillary Jackson and husband Thomas of Camden and Vinalhaven, and BlakeLee Greene and husband Taylor of Newburyport, Mass.; brother, Frank Blake Hopewell of Seattle, Wash.; step-sisters, Margaret Carey Seaver, and Sally Seaver Johnson, both of Naples, Fla.; sister-in-law, Diana Hopewell of Wolfeboro, N.H.; grandchildren, Robert, Eliza, Steven and Catherine Derrey, Benjamin, Peter and Thomas Greene; step-sons, Gregory, Glenn and Christopher Madden, all of Old Greenwich, Conn.; as well as several nieces and nephews.
Graveside service 11 a.m., Sat., May 29 at Brown’s Head Cemetery, Vinalhaven.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Island Institute, P.O. Box 648, Rockland, ME 04841.
To leave on-line condolences, please visit obituaries at www.bchfh.com.
Arrangements are in the care of Burpee, Carpenter & Hutchins Funeral Home, Rockland.
