Deta F Hopkins

Nashville, TN

11/11/1931 – 8/14/2019

Our beautiful mother passed away peacefully at home on the afternoon of Wednesday, August 14, 2019, at the age of 87. She was born in the front bedroom of her parent's home on November 11, 1931, in Cowan, Tennessee. She was predeceased by her parents, Avaline and Homer Forgy as well as her brothers, Ellis Forgy and Joe Forgy. She was a graduate of Cowan High School which she was attending when she went on a blind date with Homer “Hop” Hopkins. They were married on December 21, 1950, with their marriage lasting for 65½ years prior to his passing in 2016.

Deta and Hop lived in New Haven, CT while Hop attended Yale University. They soon returned to their roots in Tennessee, moving to Nashville where all three of their daughters were born; Hollie Patrice in 1953, Helese “Lisa” Ponnae in 1954 and Heidi Penelope in 1962.

Deta was a Welcome Wagon Hostess for three years, prior to the birth of Heidi. She started her career in the tour industry (that lasted 35 years) as a tour guide for Nashville Tours and then Nashville Express Tours before going freelance, working for Our Town, John Hopper, Key Events, Grayline, Steve Ellis and Nashville Express. These positions allowed her to utilize her storytelling and joke collecting to entertain thousands of visitors to Nashville, along with her vast knowledge of the city's rich history and many country music stars. Deta loved being a tour guide and she loved Nashville, working until she was almost 80 years old.

From the 1960s through the early 1980s, much of her time was spent with "Hop" on "The Hop Aboard", their cabin cruiser on Old Hickory Lake. They were members of the Coast Guard Auxillary and loved to spend time on the lake with all their boating friends.

Following Hop's retirement, they fully indulged their love of travel. They were among the first tourists in China in 1985 and also enjoyed visiting Europe. They went on numerous cruise excursions, including through the Panama Canal, the Mediterranean, Alaska, Hawaii and up the west coast of South America to Los Angeles. They made many trips to California as both Hollie and Heidi had relocated to the Orange County, CA area.

She was a proud member of the DAR, Rachel Stockley Donelson Chapter and she and "Hop" were members of the first M3 Class of Leadership Donelson Hermitage (now L'Evate, a Leadership Community) in 2008.

Deta loved her life and lived it to the fullest, even during her last years when she was not physically able to do much outside the home. She continued to attend Andrew Price United Memorial Methodist Church when she was up to it, as they had been members of the church since the late 50s.

She is survived by her three daughters, Hollie Hopkins, Lisa Viator (Mickey) and Heidi Stoops (Adam), five granddaughters, Casey Flores (Isaac), Brookney Viator, Biani Viator Blanchard (Drew), Kenzi Viator Locke (Devon) and Jessica Gitsham (Joshua), and nine great-grandchildren; Raeonna Flores, Lillie Blanchard, Easton Blanchard, Jack Blanchard, Makani Viator Bugarin, Aurora Locke, Holly Rose Gitsham, Jett Gitsham, and Jayden Gitsham.

She will forever be remembered as having a life well-lived and being a woman well-loved.

Honorary pallbearers are the XYZs and the McDonough Fellowship Sunday School Class from APMUMC, along with nephews Sam Hopkins and Steve Forgy, nephew-in-laws Danny Sain and Bruce Turner, sons-in-law, Mickey Viator, and Adam Stoops and grandsons-in-law, Issac Flores, Andrew Blanchard, Josh Gitsham and Devon Locke.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to:

Andrew Price Memorial United Methodist Church (APMUMC)

2846 Lebanon Pk.

Nashville, TN 37214

Visitation is scheduled for Tuesday, August 20 from 5-7 pm in the lobby of Andrew Price Church, and again from 2:30-4:15 pm on Wednesday, August 21 followed by a Memorial Celebration of Life service at 4:30 pm in the Chapel.