Judge James "Bill" William Hopkins

Judge Bill Hopkins entered the gates of Heaven on September 10, 2026. He was born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri to James Roland (Jack) and Mary Elisabeth (Betty) Hopkins. He had an idyllic childhood in the small town of Marble Hill, MO. He was raised in a home that sat in an area of town known as “Hopkinsville.”Their family home sat next to two other homes occupied by aunts, uncles  and cousins. Bill’s father, Jack and his Uncle Charles, ran Hopkins Hardware, Hopkins Furniture Store, Hopkins Super Market and owned the building that housed the movie theatre. Bill loved to regale his family and friends with stories about life in his rural Missouri town. He grew up with his three sisters, twins Carolyn & Camille, Francie and several cousins and Aunts and Uncles. He relished  the memories he shared with them. His cousins, Becky and Mark, forgave him after he famously broke their arms and would later tell them, in his adult years, that the statute of limitations had run out on their broken arms except in the court of family lore.

There was also the famous story about Bill and his three sisters who escaped the raging waters of Crooked Creek in their small john boat. His sister, Camille, jumped out to save them and dragged them safely ashore. The story became more dramatic as the years passed, but we never tired of hearing about that fateful day.

Family history was very important to Bill. He loved to tell stories, explain how we were related to everyone and used words like “second cousin twice removed.” His stories will live on and continue to make us smile.

Bill moved to Cape Girardeau in his teenage years and graduated from Cape Central High School in 1964. After high school, he received his Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Missouri - Columbia. Bill graduated from University of Denver law school in 1971.

He married the love of his life, Sharon Hopkins, on August 31st, 1991. His heart was broken when she passed away just six months ago. They enjoyed life on their beautiful, well landscaped “compound” with their dogs. The thought of their reunion in Heaven left us with a sense of peace. 

As a lawyer, Bill was in private practice in Bollinger County for three years before becoming a judge. He served in public office in Bollinger County from Jan. 1, 1975 to December 31, 1994. Bill served as probate and magistrate judge and then as associate circuit judge. Gov. Mel Carnahan appointed him prosecuting attorney in 1994. In the late 90s, Bill became a senior administrative law judge at the Missouri Public Service Commission. He served there for six years and was known for being a “grammarian” and a devotee of “Bryan Garner’s school of legal writing.” Bill delighted in tackling any legal problem that came his way. Bill loved complex and challenging work and seemed to dive into each case as if it were just another fun-to-solve puzzle. Those cases routinely involved, quite literally, millions of dollars in revenue and the companies weren’t bashful about seeking appellate review. But no matter the source, Bill accepted second opinions, whether critical or congratulatory, with equal aplomb. He was intensely intelligent but also easy-going.

Bill was color-blind and happily received colleagues kidding about his attire: “Bill, did Sharon forget to pick your clothes this morning?” He’d laugh and respond, “You mean my Garanimals don’t match?” And he always gave as good as he got. He was quick with a funny story and kept the Adjudication Division at the Public Service Commission lively. He was a great source of history (legal or otherwise), trivia, and good humor.

On Bill’s first day with the PSC, as he and his friend, Dale Roberts, were leaving for lunch, they ran into Judge Duane Benton (at that time, Chief Judge of the Missouri Supreme Court). Dale stopped to introduce Bill to Judge Benton and as soon as he said Bill’s name, Judge Benton said to Bill, “Judge Hopkins, I read your article in the Bar Journal on…” and went on to compliment Bill about his work. Bill seemed surprised that the Chief Judge of the Supreme Court would both instantly recognize his name and remember his work. But anyone who ever met Bill, appeared in his courtroom, or had the privilege of working with Bill knew he was and will remain completely unforgettable.

Bill’s children enjoyed accompanying him as he held court. When they said, “All Rise,” their hearts felt such pride as he strode into the courtroom in his black robe. He would put people in their place in a way that made you listen and realize how smart he was. 

Bill was very accepting of others. He didn’t care what color your skin was, what you looked like, or who you loved. He delighted in the fact that our family included people from Honduras, Japan, and Korea. He secured Irish dual citizenship for his three children since their maternal grandma immigrated from Ireland. 

His Catholic faith was very important to him and he and Sharon poured much of their time into helping their local, small town church. 

Bill was a voracious reader and writer. He wrote several books, plays, short stories, magazine articles, and law journals. Bill was a member of Horror Writers Association, Missouri Writers Guild, SEMO Writers Guild, Heartland Writers Guild, and Sisters In Crime. Courting Murder was his first novel and his second novel River Mourn won first place in the Missouri Writers' Guild Show-Me Best Book Awards in 2014. Bill and Sharon had a small publishing company called Deadly Writes. He always encouraged his daughter and others to keep writing and would gladly edit their work and, of course, correct their grammar. 

Bill was also a photographer who sold work in the United States, Canada, and Europe. He loved to teach his children about photography and was happy that his daughter shared his passion.

He was a proud member of Mensa and liked to collaborate with other brilliant people around the world. One of his novels was used as the Tucson Mensa book of the month club selection. Bill served as president of the Bollinger County Chamber of Commerce and was also president of the Bollinger County Library Board.

A Celebration of Life will be announced at a later date. The best way to honor Bill is to read, write, take a good photo, and, of course, follow the law. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be made in his name to the Bollinger County Library. 

https://bocolib.com/#contact

Bill is survived by his children; Alex Hopkins and his husband, Aaron Cook, Witney (Hopkins) Arch and her husband Jason, and Jason Hopkins and his wife Akiko; his grandchildren, Callahan, Ellie, Holden and Beau Arch, Kento and Yoshito Hopkins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jack and Betty Hopkins and his sister, Carolyn Begley. 

...The gavel sounds, court is now adjourned, "all stand" while the judge retires to his heavenly chambers.

In 2008, Bill wrote a poetry book titled Moving Into Forever: Poems from a Lifetime. This is the last poem in that book.

Moving Into Forever

Rising just beyond the ledge, its face pocked with lichen,

I stand and break the lowest twig of a cedar, dead long ago, killed by ice.

Standing at the end of the ledge, its skin scarred by wind,

I kneel, studying the moon, the full moon, cold in its hunger, bright in its sadness.

Kneeling beneath the shelter of the ledge, its back rough from millions of rains, I sit, hoping that the deluge after drought, wet with anger, spares me one more time.

Sitting on the hump of the ledge, its head full of stony thinking, I rise, pitting its rock for brains against my feet, dancing at the thought.

I lean into the breath of the ledge, moving, moving into forever.