01/11/2021

Former Radio Amateurs of Canada (RAC) President John Farrell "Hoppy" Hopwood, VE7RD, of North Vancouver, British Columbia, died on December 8. He was 91. Hopwood was instrumental in the founding of RAC and was inducted in 2015 as a member of the Canadian Amateur Radio Hall of Fame.

Hopwood spent his career in telecommunications, once working as a telegraph lineman. In 1971, he formed a Systems Coordination Centre (SCC) to help British Columbia Telephone Company and other large business users to install new telecom networks, and he managed the SCC until he retired in 1992.

Licensed in 1955, Hopwood was an early member of the Canadian Radio Relay League (CRRL), the Canadian Amateur Radio Federation (CARF), and ARRL. As Vice President of CARF, Hopwood encouraged the CARF and CRRL boards to resume talks to consider creating one national society.

"Merging the two societies was a complex and delicate process," RAC said in remembering Hopwood. He worked with CRRL President Dana Shtun, VE3DSS, who, RAC said, "shared the vision for a strong national amateur radio society." Hopwood served as RAC's first Vice President and subsequently was appointed as RAC President, retiring in 1998 after six terms.

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