VERONA ISLAND – Charlotte May Hopkins left this world on angel’s wings Saturday, March 19, 2011, in Belfast, to be with her beloved husband, mother, father, brother and sister. On April 3, 1924, in Bangor, Charlotte May Hickson came into this world as a much beloved third child of John R. and Maybel (Fish) Hickson.
She grew up in Bangor, where she was educated at John Bapst High School when it was a Catholic school. She graduated with honors and entered Mercy Hospital’s Program of Nursing, Portland. She was part of the Nurse’s Corps before she headed to New York City to do private duty nursing, which she dearly loved. She returned to Verona Island to be with her mother in the mid-1940s, where she took a job in Bucksport at the telephone office as a telephone operator. This is where she met the love of her life, Richard S. Hopkins. They were married June 12, 1950, and built a beautiful home for themselves on Verona Island, where they raised two lovely daughters and lost one son at birth. Charlotte was a great mother. She made homemade cookies, cakes and bread, and showered her family with love in many forms. She loved music and enjoyed listening to it and dancing with her daughters. As girls, we grew up listening to Swan Lake, dancing as ballerinas across mom’s oriental rug, complete with tutus. We also listened to Sound of Music endlessly and played Here Comes the Bride until the record actually turned white! She adored animals – wild as well as her pets. We had many squirrels to hand feed, among them Poo-poo, as well as birds and deer.
Charlotte will be missed so very much by her daughters, Susan and Aimee; her very special son-in-law, Dennis Carpenter, who loved her like a mother; and her special son-in-law, Andy King, with whom she shared many fun moments. She will also be sadly missed by her sister, Marion Walsh of Bangor; brother-in-law, Gardner Patterson; special niece, Grace Patterson and family; sister-in-law, Margaret Hickson; and nephew, Robert Findlay and his family. She is also survived by grandchildren, Corey Johnson and Emily Kilcer, Heather and Jay Lanpher, Jeremy and Beth Johnson, Cassie Carpenter, Amber Wood and family, Amanda Carpenter and family, and Chad Carpenter; and great-grandchildren, Alex, Korey, Justyn, Zoe, Sydney, Jordan, Jack, Kameron and Sadie. She was predeceased by her parents, husband, Richard S. Hopkins; brother, Harold Hickson; and sister, Margaret Findlay.
Visiting hours will be held 6-8 p.m. Monday, March 21, at Mitchell-Tweedie Funeral Home, 28 Elm St., Bucksport. A Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated 10 a.m. Tuesday at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church with Father Bruce Siket officiating. Spring interment will be at Riverview Cemetery, Bucksport. Donations in her memory may be made to American Cancer Society, New England Division, Inc., 1 Bowdoin Mill Island, Suite 300, Topsham, ME 04086 or Bangor Humane Society, 693B Mount Hope Ave., Bangor, ME 04401.