Harry Lawrence Hopkins

Harry Lawrence Hopkins was born in Gary and raised in Hobart, Indiana. He graduated from Hobart High School in 1959. He served in the U.S. Army Security Agency from 1960-1963, stationed in Chitosi, Japan, engaged in electronic intelligence. After studying at Valparaiso Tech he was hired by Honeywell Computer Systems, working as a Field Engineer and Regional Manager in Chicago and northern Indiana regions. His first wife, Valerie Barnes Hopkins, passed from cancer. Harry married his high school sweetheart, Anabel Stafford in 1987 and moved from Chesterton to Bloomington. There, he worked in sales for local computer stores before starting his own business, AAA Computers. In 1994 he and Anabel purchased land and built a home and large horse barn where they operated a boarding stable and Anabel raised black Arabian horses. The daily work of stall cleaning led to Harry's invention of the Brockwood Stall Shi*fter, a stall cleaning machine. This has been their business since the mid-1990’s. Harry also developed a sifter used in the vermiculture industry. His sifters have been purchased world-wide. The couple moved to rural Brown County in 2002. Harry loved country life, hiking in the forest, and exploring the Lake Monroe backwaters by pontoon boat. He and Anabel made numerous Alpine ski trips in the US and abroad. He enjoyed five trips to Costa Rica, and annual reunions of his Chitosi Army veterans throughout the states. He followed news and politics and was a popular contributor to letters to the editor in Bloomington and Nashville. Until he became disabled, he and Anabel frequented Country Heritage Winery in Nashville to enjoy live music and visit with friends. Harry had a great sense of humor and was a good story-teller who made friends easily. Harry was preceded in death by his parents, Helen Holzmer Hopkins and Carl Hopkins, his brother Tom Hopkins and his first wife Valerie Hopkins. He is survived by his wife Anabel Hopkins, his children Suzanne Sheffler, Peter Hopkins, Michael Hopkins, and his step-daughter Rebecca Demetrius. His grandchildren are Alysa Burton, Kyle Burton, Jeremy Kohn, Brittany Hopkins and James Hopkins. His great-grandchildren are Amelia Beasley and Henry Adams. He is also survived by his sisters Mary Jo Hopkins and Sally Perry, along with his brother Richard Hopkins. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.DayDeremiahFrye.com for the Hopkins family.