Marilyn J. Hopper

Marilyn Jane Hopper, formerly of Ridgely, Maryland, passed away in Tennessee on Wednesday, April 15, 2026. She was 86 years old.

Born December 5, 1939, in Chicago, IL, she was the daughter of the late James Hoekstra and Jeannette Poortinga Hoekstra.

Marilyn was a devoted wife, mother and sister whose love of family carried through in all she did. She enjoyed traveling to visit her children and grandchildren and spending sister-time, in person when possible, and when not, on their daily phone calls. Her most fervent wish was for her family to be close regardless of their physical distance.

A resident of Ridgely for nearly fifty years, she touched many lives through her work with the Chesapeake Church of Christ who were a second family to her.  She loved spending time in her yard with her beloved dog, Salsa, working on jigsaw puzzles and collecting Delft pieces with her sisters. She loved all things Christmas, Snoopy, and the color purple.

She will be remembered with love, laughter and tears as she leaves an unfillable gap in our hearts.

Marilyn is survived by her four children; William Hopper, Christine Russell, Susan Goode-Hopper (Jim), and Jason Hopper, and by her two granddaughters; Alex and Lindsey Russell.

In addition to her parents, Marilyn was preceded in death by her husband, James Richard Hopper and by her three siblings: Howard Hoekstra, Jean Kessler, and Donna Hoekstra.

Friends may visit with the family on Thursday, April 23, 2026, from 11 to 11:45AM at Moore Funeral Home, P.A. 12 S. 2nd St. Denton, MD. The funeral service will begin at 11:45AM. Burial will follow in the Maryland Eastern Shore Veterans Cemetery.

Contributions in lieu of flowers can be made in Marilyn’s name to the Chesapeake Church of Christ, P.O. Box 396 Grasonville, 21638.

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