2025 -- H 5092
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
EXTENDING DEEPEST CONDOLENCES ON THE PASSING OF ANDREA MAR IE
HOPKINS
Introduced By: Representatives Craven, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, McEntee, Chippendale,
Kennedy, Fogarty, Serpa, Boylan, and Ackerman
Date Introduced: January 21, 2025
Referred To: House read and passed
WHEREAS, It is with sadness that this House has learned of the passing of Andrea Marie 1
Hopkins, the beloved wife of Mark Hopkins for fifty-six years, and the cherished mother of 2
Kathryn Hopkins (Fran Morey), and Jennifer Skerrett; and 3
WHEREAS, Born in the City of Providence, Mrs. Hopkins was the daughter of Maurice 4
and Regina Frechette, and the sister of Maurice Shrader-Frechette and his wife, Kristin, Maureen 5
Maggiacomo and her husband, Ron, Paul Frechette and his wife, Cher, Peter Frechette and David 6
Warren, and the sister-in-law of James Hopkins. She is also survived by many nieces and 7
nephews, and their families; and 8
WHEREAS, Mrs. Hopkins was a graduate of Coventry High School and was honored as 9
a member of the inaugural class of Coventry High School’s Hall of Fame. Continuing her 10
education, she earned a degree in Political Science from the University of Rhode Island. She had 11
been employed in Marketing for the A.T. Cross Co. and was the Senior Vice President of 12
Marketing and Member Services for AAA Southern New England before joining the staff at the 13
University of Rhode Island, where she retired in 2011 as Assistant Vice President of Public 14
Affairs; and 15
WHEREAS, With a loving personality, Mrs. Hopkins created and nurtured a marriage 16
that flourished and a home that was warm and welcoming. She was the provider of sumptuous 17
pies, desserts, pickles, relishes, jams and jellies that were legendary, and when her children, and 18
nieces and nephews were young, she would bake and decorate birthday cakes of their choosing. 19
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She later doted on her grandchildren, Elizabeth Skerrett, Anna Skerrett, and Ian Morey, lovingly 1
handmaking them pajamas and their favorite cookies; and 2
WHEREAS, Throughout her life, Mrs. Hopkins was devoted to her Alma Mater for 3
which she had received the URI Ram Award. For more than fifty years, she and her husband were 4
basketball season ticket holders. She enthusiastically recruited and advocated for URI, both in the 5
community and lobbying for URI at the Rhode Island State House, where she would often invite 6
URI students to accompany her. She had also served as an Alumni Admissions Representative, a 7
trustee of the URI Foundation, a member of the Alumni Association Government Relations 8
Advisory Committee, and was a charter member of the Women’s Council for Development; and 9
WHEREAS, Active in the community, and always generous with her time and expertise, 10
Mrs. Hopkins served as a Trustee and Incorporator of Centerville Bank, as a Trustee of Kent 11
Hospital, a member of the Kent Hospital Foundation, Leadership Rhode Island, and the Coventry 12
Public Library Board of Trustees, and was on Senator Jack Reed’s Women’s Advisory 13
Committee, and was the former President of both the Coventry Public Library Foundation and the 14
Anthony Lyceum Library Association. For her dedication, she was honored with the Leadership 15
Rhode Island David Sweet Leadership Award, and most recently the Kent Hospital Foundation 16
2024 Philanthropist of the Year Award; and 17
WHEREAS, Andrea Hopkins was “a strong powerful woman” who “did nothing by 18
halves,” was always “a willing and eager mentor to anyone who could benefit from her expertise” 19
and who possessed a “How Can I Help” attitude. She was rarely one to remain idle, and 20
relentlessly fought Parkinson’s over the last two decades of her life with a commitment to 21
physical fitness, treatments, stubbornness, and persistence. Her determination and 22
accomplishments are inspirational, she enriched the lives of all who knew her, and she is truly 23
and dearly missed; now, therefore be 24
RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 25
expresses deepest sympathies on the passing of Andrea Marie Hopkins; and be it further 26
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 27
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Mark Hopkins and Family. 28
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