Mary Randall Hopkins, 73, a lay church leader and volunteer advocate, died on Dec 21, 2018, at a family home at Piper Shores near Prouts Neck, Maine.
Hopkins was born in Doylestown and lived in Chestnut Hill her whole life. She graduated from Springside School in 1963.
A stay-at-home mom who raised two sons from her first husband, W . Stewart Alford, Hopkins spent a great deal of time volunteering, particularly with her church, St. Martins-in-the-Fields.
She served meals at the Church of the Advocate Soup Kitchen and Happy Hollow, created crafts and food items for the St. Nicholas Fair annual fundraiser, helped lead the teenage youth group, manned the front office receptionist desk, worked on the executive committee of the Women of St. Martins, cooked for multiple parish meals and participated in a parish musical program called “Joyful Noise.”
She later married John“Doc” Hopkins, who died at the couple’s Chestnut Hill home in 2013.
She was a key founder of the church’s Stephen Ministry program (short term crisis counseling), and its Women Connecting Group (women's contemplative mornings) and served on the board of Wellspring (the spiritual growth center). She served on the vestry twice.
Outside the church, she pursued her interest in service by co-founding Need-in-Deed, a non-profit organization that works with middle school students to create projects in their communities on social justice issues tailored to their own concerns.
In addition, as a talented and enthusiastic cook, she co-founded with a close friend, the catering business “Manna,” becoming the official caterer for the Morris Arboretum, and catering for friends and others.
Mrs. Hopkins is survived by her two sons, Winslow Alford of Providence, R.I., and Joseph Alford of York, Maine, four granddaughters, seven stepchildren, her brother Dr. John Randall of New Gloucester, Maine, her sister, Susan MacBride, of Philadelphia and 11 nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held at the Church of St Martin-in-the Fields, at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 9.
Memorial donations may be made to the Community Engagement Fund at the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, 8000 St. Martin’s Lane, Philadelphia, PA 19118; Morris Arboretum, 1000 E. Northwestern Ave. Philadelphia, PA. 19118; or to The Sanctuary Fund, Prouts Neck Association, 499 Black Point Rd., Scarborough, ME 04074.
