1952 - 2025
Johnny Frank Hopper, 72, of Winfield, KS, passed on to the other side of Eternity on August 31, 2025. He was at home surrounded by family upon his eternal graduation into glory and joy.
He was born on December 13, 1952, in El Dorado, KS, to F. Leland and Ada “B” (Walthall) Hopper. He grew up in Winfield, KS, and graduated from Winfield High School in 1971. In 1974, he married Teresa Weidman, the couple later divorced. Together, they had two daughters, Kristy (Hopper) Lahoda and Kamy Hopper. In 1995, he married Cathy S. (Marlow) Hopper, and the couple made their home in Derby, KS, with Cathy’s three children, Melissa and Jeremy Scritchfield and Brooke Anders. They were married for nearly 25 years until he lost his beloved wife on February 13, 2020, to a third round of breast cancer.
During high school, Johnny wrestled and played football. After high school, he went to work at Sheneman’s Meat Market, Morton Buildings, a tree service briefly, in the oil field for Reynold’s Drilling as a chain thrower and sample catcher, and finally for Boeing, where he retired after over 30 years. He worked as an inspector on Boeing’s military side, where he was proud to have helped build and inspect the Air Force One airplanes. He was mechanically inclined and worked on many vehicles over the years, including those of his family, neighbors, and friends. He was kind-hearted, charming, and ornery as heck, which he inherited from his dad and passed on to his girls. Some of the things he loved were Pepsi, making peanut clusters, cooking and baking, eating hamburgers, especially from Burger Station, listening to the Oldies and Classic Rock, and watching the Chiefs games with his family.
He was raised as a Methodist, converted to Catholicism when he married Cathy, and was confirmed in Trinity Lutheran Church on April 6, 2024, after moving back to Winfield. He loved listening to The Bible app at night, which was a great comfort to him. May he rest in hope and joy.
Johnny was a member of the Chickasaw Nation. His maternal grandpa, Nicholas Mondavis Walthall, was an original enrollee on the Dawes Rolls (card 1299). Nick’s maternal grandparents, Robert Gabin and Caroline Susan Thomas, were born in Mississippi, part of the Chickasaw homeland, and were on the Trail of Tears to Indian Territory, Oklahoma. Our family would like to thank the Chickasaw Nation for their support.
Johnny was preceded in death by his parents; his half-brother, Tommy; his brothers, Terry and Jerry.
He is survived by his children, Kristy (Rob) Lahoda of Columbus, OH; Kamy (Stephanie Bodkins) Hopper of Winfield; Jeremy (Jen) Scritchfield of Douglas; Melissa (David) Counts of Derby; and Brooke (Steven) Ewertt of Mulvane; his precious grandchildren: Evie, Robert, and Samuel Lahoda; Kinley and Liam Bodkins; Alexis Scritchfield; Tyler and Grace Counts; and Sawyer and Lydia Ewertt; his brother, Glenn, of Augusta; sisters- and brothers-in-law; nephews and nieces; and best friends, Jesse Madrigal, David Peacock, Victor Barlag, Christel (Barlag) Sawyer, and Steve Kirby.
Memorial service will be at 10:30 A.M., Monday, September 8, 2025, at Miles Funeral Service. Graveside services will be held at 1:00 P.M. at Hillcrest Cemetery in Derby.
A memorial has been established in Johnny’s name for the Cancer Center of Kansas in Winfield. Contributions may be made through the funeral home.
We would like to thank his hospice nurse and aide, and his relief caregiver, who provided us innumerable support as he declined. He battled and overcame oral cancer in 2013 and was diagnosed with base of tongue cancer at the end of 2024. He survived the chemo and radiation, but he had Parkinson’s and his body grew tired from all that fighting. Johnny would love it if you drank a Pepsi in his honor.
