Rear Admiral Thomas M. Hopkins, U.S. Navy (Ret.) died from complications resulting from a several month, rapidly escalating bout with kidney cancer at the age of 76 at the Hospice of Northern Virginia in Arlington, VA on May 18, 2003.

RADM Tom Hopkins served in the U.S. Navy for 38 years, entering in 1944 as an Apprentice Seaman (V-12 Program) and retiring in 1982 as a Rear Admiral (Upper Half).  He served first at sea as an Unrestricted Line Officer in the aircraft carrier USS LEYTE (CV 32), home ported at Quonset Point, RI, and in the diesel submarine USS AMBERJACK (SS 522), where he qualified in submarines. 

 RADM Hopkins later served in various positions at sea and at sea and ashore as a Restricted Line Officer (Engineering Duty) in the design, construction, and maintenance of Navy ships and submarines.  He was deeply involved in the Navy's major Cold War effort to build and deploy nuclear attack and nuclear strategic ballistic missile submarines.  In 1958, RADM Hopkins reported to Navy office in Groton, CT overseeing submarine design and construction at Electric Boat Corporation.  Here he served first as Design Project Officer for USS TRITON (SSN(R) 586), and later as Design Project Officer for the USS ETHAN ALLEN (SSBN 608) Class of ballistic missile submarines. 

From 1964-1969 RADM Hopkins served in the Bureau of Ships (BUSHIPS) as Project Officer for Attack Submarines under the BUSHIPS Submarine Type Desk.  He later served on the maintenance staff of Commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Atlantic Fleet. 

From 1972-1976 RADM Hopkins was the Program Manager (PMS393) for Nuclear Attack Submarine Acquisition Program, when the lead ship of the LOS ANGELES (SSN 688) Class was delivered to the Navy.  He also served from 1977-1980 as Atlantic Fleet Maintenance Officer, and, from 1980-82, as Deputy Commander for Ship Systems, Naval Sea Systems Command.  Upon retirement from the Navy in 1982, RADM Hopkins served in the Washington area as an engineering consultant to various naval and marine engineering firms, including work in naval ship survivability and marine engineering standards. 

From 1988-1990 he served on the Board of Directors of the American Society for Testing and Materials, and from 1995 to 2000 he served as Secretary of the SC 3 Subcommittee for Piping and Machinery of the International Organization for Standardization, Ships and Marine Technology Committee (ISO/TC 8). 

From 2000 to 2002 he served as Chairman of ISO/TC 8 Subcommittee (SC 3), and from 1995 to 2002 he served as the ISO representative observer to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Design and Equipment Subcommittee annual meetings. 

RADM Hopkins retired in March 2003 from the Institute for Defense Analyses in Alexandria, where, for the preceding 12 years he had advised the Office of the Secretary of Defense, first as a consultant and, since 1995, as an Adjunct Research Staff Member on matters relating to Live Fire Test and Evaluation of Navy ships and submarines.

RADM Hopkins was a native of Baltimore, MD. He lived in the Washington area off and on since childhood, and is a distant relative of Johns Hopkins, founder of The Johns Hopkins University. He graduated from Laurel High School, Laurel MD, in 1944 as class valedictorian. He was a graduate of Cornell University with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and later as a young naval officer, studied at M.I.T., receiving the graduate degree of Naval Engineer. 

Survivors include his wife, Kendall Leonard Hopkins; daughters Margaret Hopkins-Oehler of Brighton, Michigan; Karen Crowell of Pittsboro, North Carolina, and Annette Hopkins of Baltimore, Maryland, Rev. Joseph Hopkins (brother) of Wilmington, Pennsylvania, Margaret Anacker (sister) of Freeland, Maryland, and Anna Catherine Cooper (sister) of Pittsboro, North Carolina, and two grandchildren.

There will be a memorial service conducted at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 2609 North Glebe Road, Arlington (at the corner of Old Dominion and Glebe), on Tuesday, June 3rd at 10:30 AM.  All are invited by the Hopkins family. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to:

Hospice of Northern Virginia
9300 Lee Highway, Suite 500
Fairfax, VA 22031-1207
703-383-9222