Maria Antonia Hopkins

MARIA ANTONIA HOPKINS

EDINBURG- Our beloved mother Maria Antonia Guzman Hopkins, 81, entered eternal rest Monday, December 25, 2023, at DHR Health Hospice with her family by her side.

She was born on February 21, 1942 in Crystal City, Texas to Juan Guzman and Consuelo Loera. She attended and graduated from Crystal City High School. She received an Associate of Arts degree from Southwest Texas Junior college. She received a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics from Southwest Texas State College (Texas State). She received a Masters of Education in Supervision from Pan American University (UTRGV). She received a vocational certification from the University of Corpus Christi. 

Mrs. Hopkins was a life member of the United Methodist Church where she served as a pianist/organist during her teen years and she was in the choir. She was a life member of the Texas State Teachers Association and she served as secretary in Donna. She was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and served as Vice President. She was a lifetime member of TSTA and RTSTA.

She moved to Pharr Texas in August 1968 when she started her teaching career. She spent 30 years with PSJA - 12 as a home economics teacher and 18 years as a substitute teacher at PSJA high school. She spent 20 years teaching home economics at Donna High School. In total, Mrs. Hopkins had a passion for teaching and she spent 50 years in education and she loved every minute of it and all the students that she was able to help and give advice to. She was 78 years old when she finally retired.

She thoroughly enjoyed sewing and she made blue jeans and shirts for her husband. She also enjoyed making needlepoint custom embroidery pictures for those closest to her and she did this well into her later years. Her favorite pastimes were needlecrafts, counted cross stitch and embroidery. She made all of those closest to her one or two keepsakes. She liked to listen to Elvis Presley music and Purple was her favorite color.

Her faith was important to her and she made several needlepoint crafts with various Bible verses on them and Bible stories. She enjoyed being a faithful servant of Our Lord Jesus Christ and encouraged her family and others to do so as well. She enjoyed listening to Elvis Presley gospel music. One of her favorite verses was Colossians 3:17 - “And whatsoever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” She loved and looked forward to reading the Bible daily and talking about her faith with her loved ones .

She was a wonderful mother who was always there when we needed her. She also had many friends and was a teacher and a well-loved member of the community in PSJA and Donna. She was also a fur mom to her beloved 15-year-old cat “Baby”, who her son adopted as a rescue before he passed away. She was an inspiring soul who was always there for all who came to her with their troubles. 

She is preceded in death by her grandparents, aunts and uncles, and the love of her life - her husband, Roy Lane Hopkins; parents, Consuelo Loera and Juan Guzman; two sons, King David Hopkins and Cecil Lane Hopkins II; two sisters, Sylvia Guzman Cervantes and Marcela Guzman.

Mrs. Hopkins is survived by her beautiful daughter - who was a special birthday gift from our Lord, Melita Yvonne (Jr) Torres; seven siblings, Juan B. Guzman Jr., Mario (Karen) Guzman, Diane (Stephen) Malacara, Herman (JoAnn) Guzman, Eddie (Alice) Guzman, Robert (Mary) Guzman, Raquel (Ricardo) Palacios, a brother-in-law, Juan Cervantes, and many cousins. Her closest friends Oralia Medrano, Ofelia Salazar and Rosie Castillo who were with her in her final days and throughout her life, shared many memories together. She will be remembered by her family, friends, coworkers and students that she was blessed to be part of their lives.

Pallbearers will be Jesse Jackson, Eloy Cuevas, Joe Guzman, Fernando Castillo, Joe Chapa, and Dustin Taylor. With honorary pallbearers Armando Medrano, Jesus Salazar and Daniel Scott Guzman.

She will be missed by all but her memory will live on in us all forever. The song “Angels We Have Heard on High” by Andrea Bocelli was playing as she took her final breath. 

Visitation will be held from 5 to 8 p.m., with a 5:30 p.m. service Tuesday, January 2, 2024, at Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan. Funeral service will take place at 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, January 3, 2024, at St. Jude Catholic Church. Interment will follow at Valley Memorial Gardens in Mission.

Funeral services are under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home in San Juan.