Dennis Warren Hopkins, Jr, 75, of Glen Allen, VA went home to be with the Lord, Monday, May 22, 2023.

He was born in Washington, Georgia where he grew up and graduated from Washington-Wilkes High School. He attended the University of Georgia graduating with a degree in Mathematics in 1969 and received his commissioning after ROTC as a 2nd Lt. in the USAF in 1970. Before beginning his military career, he taught math and physics, for a year at his high school and married his hometown sweetheart Frances Drinkard (Fran), November 14th 1970.

He grew up with a love of flying, acquiring his pilot’s license as a young man and always looked forward to his next time in the skies. After graduating in the top 10% of his pilot training class, he established a successful career serving as a fighter pilot for several planes including the F-4, T-38, and the F-16. During his 22 years in the Air Force, his duty stations included time overseas as well as the United States where he completed: a multitude of operational missions, a test pilot for the Taiwanese military (Taiwan) who were rebuilding the (F-4) plane, trainings to prepare and response to potential nuclear threats (F-4) England), instructional pilot (F-4) Florida) to train and prepare other pilots, expanded his education completing AirWar college and earning his MBA in 1983 from Golden Gate University (T-38) New Mexico), operational flying (F-16) South Korea), instructional pilot (F-16) Florida), served at the Pentagon as Lead Programmer & Directorate of Operations (F-16) Virginia), then his last assignment (South Carolina) he extended support with deployment to Saudia Arabia. In his career, he was presented prestigious awards, the meritorious service medals, for outstanding service as an instructor pilot, scheduling officer and flight commander, 434th Tactical Fighter Squadron and then for outstanding service as Lead F-16 Program Manager where he expedited Air National Guard F-16 modernization, key to improving Total Force combat capability. After retiring from the military in 1998, Denny went to work for Steven Myers & Associate, and then settled at Lockheed Martin for 15 years where he continued his support for the military airplanes: F-16, F-22, and C-5, both in Texas and his home state of Georgia, retiring fully in 2015.

His all-time favorite pastime was playing the game of golf, where he learned to play from his Dad at their hometown country club. He attended the Masters as a patron near every year, since 1957 and served as a Marshall several years for the FedEx cup. He was an exceptional golfer and enjoyed playing from his high school days, in college and every chance he could throughout his life with friends, whether guys in the Squadron, or men at the church.

No matter where the Air Force sent him and his family, they became active members of churches but called their last church, First Baptist Church of Marietta ‘home’ since 2017.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Dennis Warren Hopkins, Sr, and Norma Frances Johnson. He is survived by his loving wife of 52 years, Frances D Hopkins, and their three daughters, Jennifer Hopkins Doan (Louis) of Winston-Salem, NC, Emily Hopkins (Scott Marshall) of Mechanicsville, VA, and Lindsey Hopkins, of Ft Worth, TX. He and Fran are also so proud of their 6 grandchildren, Thomas Doan, Benjamin Doan, Katherine Rose Doan, Rachel Doan, Abigail Marshall, and Talbot Marshall.

In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the First Baptist Church of Marietta Pure Water Project Fund or Legacy Grateful First Fund.