Feature Article October 16, 2002
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Sadness at the passing of a great teacherby Jeff Green Students and staff at Sydenham High School arrived in school last Monday to hear the news of the death of 54-year-old teacher Dick Hopkins of a heart attack just one day earlier, on Sunday October 6. Just over a week before his death, Dick Hopkins, along with his colleague Brian Rombough, won an award for the technology program they have developed at Sydenham High. The News ran the press release about the award on October 2, and for the remainder of the week I played telephone tag with Dick Hopkins, trying to interview him about the program, before finally talking to him on Friday, October 4. During that interview, he spoke with great enthusiasm about technology and teaching, and about the struggles for funding in the education system in Ontario. He also talked about his role as producer of "Little Shop of Horrors" at SHS, scheduled for next spring - the first musical being undertaken by the school in at least 15 years. He seemed to be a teacher in the prime of his career with a lot of energy. While the article "Technology Program Succeeds" was being written last Monday, Brian Rombough called our office with the sad news. Later in the week, our Harrowsmith reporter, Brenda Crawford sent us a lovely reminiscence of her friend Dick. There was a memorial service at Sydenham High School for Dick Hopkins on Thursday, October 10.