Obituary of Richard A. Hoppin

Richard (Dick) Hoppin, 90, died peacefully surrounded by family on Thursday, Jan. 6, 2012 at the University of Iowa Hospital's Palliative Care Center. A gathering for family and friends will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, January 10, at the University of Iowa Athletic Club. A brief program will be held at 5:45 to honor Dick. Online condolences may be sent for Dick's family through the web @ www.gayandciha.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the University of Iowa Foundation directed to the Geosciences Field Research program, or to the charity of your choice. Dick was born May 15, 1921, in Minneapolis, MN to Arthur and Florence Hoppin. After graduating from the University of Minnesota with a B.A. with honors in Geology in 1943, he served in WWII as a Lieutenant in the Army Air Corps (Meteorology and Air Observation) in North Africa, India and China. Following the war, he returned to the University of Minnesota to earn his M.A. in 1947. Before continuing his education, he married Margery June Evert on September 13, 1947 in Minneapolis and they moved to California where he completed his Ph. D. in 1951 at the California Institute of Technology. He was then recalled to duty by the Air Force Reserves for one year during the Korean Conflict before joining the Geology Department at the University of Iowa in 1952. He retired in 1991. During the next twenty years, he greatly enjoyed his weekly visits with faculty, students, and staff at the Geology Department, as he continued to pursue his passion in Geology. While on the faculty at the University of Iowa, Dick taught a broad variety of classes and supervised many PhD and Masters Students. His specialties included Structural Geology, Geotectonics, and Remote Sensing. He was Director of the UI Summer Field Course in the Black Hills and Bighorns from 1954-1964, and was proud of the fact that he always reached the tops of mountains well before his energetic students. He served as Chairman of the Geology Department from 1974-1983. Throughout his tenure at the University, he served on numerous committees, including President of the Triangle Club and Sigma Xi Chapter, University Research Council, Faculty Senate, Executive Committee and Educational Policy Committee for College of Liberal Arts, Review Committees for Zoology, School of Music, Continuing Education, and the Department of Anthropology. Among the many projects he worked on, he was particularly fascinated with the NASA Skylab and ERTS research programs he initiated on the geology of Northern Wyoming. Throughout his career he traveled to every continent but Antarctica, furthering not only his geological work, but also to pursue his curiosity in the diverse cultures of the world. His field work included visits to the East Africa Rift Zone, Denmark, the USSR, Australia, and Indonesia. He served as the Books Editor for the Geological Society of America from 1989-1995, President of the Geological Society of Iowa, and editor of Geology-Hydrology Chapter of Skylab/EREP. He also received a Distinguished Service Award from the Geological Survey of America in 1998, authored many scientific publications, and was an invited speaker at numerous colleges and universities. Dick contributed in many ways to the Iowa City community he loved. He served as president of the Iowa City School Study Council in 1960, was a member of the Iowa City Riverfront Commission, and was well known as the Iowa City Noon Rotary Music Maker (aka "Fingers") for over 40 years. While on the Riverfront Commission, he received a Certificate of Appreciation from the Iowa City Council in 1998. His interests outside his professional field were as varied as those within his field. Dick enjoyed playing tennis, listening to jazz and classical music, and playing on his baby grand piano. An avid reader of magazines and books, he expanded his knowledge of the world around him which he enjoyed sharing with his family and friends. He particularly enjoyed tackling daily crossword puzzles and Jumbles. A passionate follower of Iowa sports, he was a season football ticket holder for well over 50 years and nearly that long for basketball. If not in attendance, he also faithfully followed wrestling, baseball and all the women's sports teams with just as much interest. He also took great joy in spending time with his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Dick was preceded in death by his father, Arthur, mother Florence, and son Arthur. He is survived by his wife Margery, sons Chuck (Bonnie) of Johns Creek, GA and Andy of Minneapolis, MN, daughter Jan Hensel (Paul) of Mendota Heights, MN, daughter-in-law Karla Presler of Decorah, IA, grandchildren Tim (Kate) Hoppin, Dan (Kandace Wernsing) Hoppin, Brian, Matt, Angela and Anna Hensel, and great-grandchildren Charlotte and Owen Hoppin.