Kay Lee Freeland, 64, Kennesaw resident passed away Tuesday, March 7, 2017. A memorial service will be held 3 pm Saturday, March 18, 2017 at Winkenhofer Pine Ridge Funeral Home, Kennesaw Georgia. Kay worked as a Director of Student Administrative Services at Life University. She was a loving mother, wife, grandmother, and friend, enjoyed travel, cooking, crafts. Kay loved animals, especially golden retrievers. Preceded in death by her parents Richard Fisher and Martha Eleanor Haworth Fisher. Survivors include her devoted husband of 13 1/2 years, Mark Lee Hopkins; two sons, Colin Freeland and Jackson Freeland; step-son, Michael Hopkins (Sabrina); step-daughter, Melissa Rost (Mathias); brother, Mike Fisher; four grandchildren, Atley, Keira, Alexander, Qwyntin; and one niece. The family will receive friends Saturday from 1 pm until 3 pm at the funeral home. Kay will be loved and missed by all that knew her.
Kay had traveled and lived in many places across the country including Ohio, Idaho and Washington. She attended Miami University and received her Bachelor of Arts degree Cum Laude. Early in her career, she found a calling working as a financial aid administrator for postsecondary institutions helping students achieve their dreams. To advance her skills, she received her Master of Science in Sociology from Valdosta State University. She advanced into a consultant role where she traveled to colleges and universities around the country helping with Financial Aid programs. A year after relocating to Kennesaw, Georgia, she met the man who would become her husband. In 2003, she married Mark Hopkins and also took on a Financial Aid assignment at Life University. Ready to get off the road and stay closer to home, she accepted an offer to become an employee of Life University in 2004 where she later became the Director of Student Administrative Services. She loved her work because she loved helping others succeed. On every one of her jobs and assignments, she made friends and earned respect for her ability to work with people, identify problems and find solutions. She has positively impacted many lives, both professionally and personally. She loved her two sons, her husband and extended family, her Life family and her pets and was showered with love in return.
In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University or Morris Animal Foundation.
Donations can be sent to Winship online or by check by going to www.winshipcancer.emory.edu/support.
Kay had several pets over her lifetime and had known firsthand the problems that dogs face. When she got her most recent Golden Retriever, Jagger, as a puppy, she enrolled him in a lifetime study conducted by the Morris Animal Foundation. This study is a groundbreaking effort to learn how to prevent cancer and other diseases in dogs. It is the largest and longest observational study ever undertaken to improve the health of dogs. Cancer is the leading cause of death in dogs older than 2 years of age, and Golder Retrievers have a higher risk than most breeds. It is estimated that more than half of all Golden Retrievers in the United States will die of cancer. Donations in Kay’s name to the Morris Animal Foundation for this study can easily be made by calling 800-243-2345 or online at http://morrisanimalfoundation.donordrive.com/campaign/kayfreeland until April 30, 2017. Jagger will continue in the study to complete the important contribution Kay had begun.
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