Alfred (Al) S. Hopkins, 78

November 27, 2016

Adventurer, writer/journalist/poet, teacher and dramatist, Alfred (Al) S. Hopkins died peacefully on Sunday evening, November 27 at Hospice and Community Care of Lancaster County. This vibrant and creative man loved life and all its challenges!

Born May 1, 1938 in Los Angeles, California, he was the son of the late Maria Moon and William R. Hopkins. He graduated from the University of California, Berkley in 1962 with a degree in social science/journalism.

From 1962 until 1966 he worked at three daily newspapers in the United States including the former York Gazette and Daily. From 1966 to the summer of 1969 he traveled extensively throughout Latin America, working as a freelance correspondent covering news focusing on peace and social justice issues for many publications including the York Gazette and Daily, Pacific News Service, The Christian Science and The National Guardian. He returned to the US in 1969 and worked at Friends’ World College before returning to Latin America in 1972, eventually settling in Buenos Aires, Argentina. During his four decades in Argentina he worked as a freelance journalist, translator, and a teacher of English as a second language.

In 1977 he began studying acting with various mentors, including Ricardo Bartis. He acted in dozens of plays in English and also created a solo performance of “Hamlet” which he performed at La Casa de las Americas in Havana, Cuba in 1997. He also acted in several Argentine films. As a lifelong writer, he participated as a presenter at myriad writer’s congresses throughout the years. He published three volumes of short stories, including one for English as a second language learners entitled Tea for Two, A Tale for You with colleague Alicia Ramasco Padilla.

He is survived by two children, Nicolas (Gladis) and Milena and two grandchildren. Brother, Thomas S. Hopkins, professor (Dartha) and five nieces and nephews also survive. Alfred returned to this area this year, after several long visits here in the past few years, to share life with his companion and sweetheart, Louise Imm-Cooper

Friends are invited to attend a celebration of this talented man’s life which will be held at the Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home & Crematory, 414 East King Street, Lancaster, PA on Saturday, December 3, 2016 at 3 p.m.