Bonnie Aliff Hopkins

Bonnie Aliff Hopkins, of Bluefield, WV, went to be with the Lord on Wednesday, February 19, 2020 at the age of 87 following a short illness. Born on July 11, 1932, in Keystone, WV, she was the daughter of the late Emory B. Aliff Sr. and Nell N. Aliff of Bluefield. She was a 1950 graduate of Beaver High School and a 1954 graduate of Concord College (now University); she also received her master of music education degree from Marshall University. A renowned first soprano, she began her career in music singing in the Bluefield High School acapella choir at the age of 12. While at Concord College, she had lead roles in many productions including Madame Butterfly, Pirates of Penzance and Impatience, among others. She was also an accomplished pianist and violinist. Bonnie was employed by the Mercer County Board of Education for 37 years as a teacher of music and choir director. She taught at Fairview Junior High for 30 years until its closing and then served for 7 years at Bluefield Junior High before retiring in 1989. She also served as Director of Coral Music for the state of West Virginia for more than 20 years. Known for her beautiful, yet powerful first soprano voice, Bonnie shared her talents singing in the Flat Top Chorus, Songs of Season and the Bland Street United Methodist Church Choir where she was a member for more than 80 years. It would not have been Christmas without Bonnie singing “Oh Holy Night,” at the churches annual Christmas Eve service. She also regularly soloed for the Riley-Vest Post, American Legion and the Bluefield Lions Club. Along with her parents, she is preceded in death by her husband of 62 years, the late A.A. Hopkins Jr., her twin brother Emory B. Aliff Jr. and her sister Nancy Aliff Webster. She is survived by her brother, David R. Aliff Sr. of Pomfret, Maryland, and her sons, Stephen L. Hopkins of Grantham, NH and Christopher D. Hopkins (Karen), of Auburn AL, her dear friend and care giver, Gay Smith of Bluefield, as well as many nieces and nephews. Funeral services to celebrate the life of Bonnie Aliff Hopkins will be held at 1:00 P.M., Tuesday, February 25, 2020 at Mercer Funeral Home in Bluefield. Friends may visit with the family from 12:00 P.M. until the service hour at the funeral home. Burial will follow the service at Roselawn Memorial Gardens in Princeton. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made in memory of Bonnie A. Hopkins to the Riley-Vest Post 9, American Legion,1780 Stadium Drive, Bluefield, WV 24701. Members of Riley-Vest Post of the American Legion will be serving as pallbearers. The Hopkins family is being served by Mercer Funeral Home in Bluefield.

Bonnie Aliff Hopkins

July 11, 1932 - February 19, 2020