(this post is part of the 2,996 project to honor all of those killed on 9/11. The complete list is here)
Around 5:00 A.M. on Tuesday September 11, 2001, James Hopper looked in on his sleeping daughter and then went to work, just as he normally did. He headed for his job at Cantor Fitzgerald, in the north tower of the World Trade Center, where he worked with his brother-in-law, Richard Poulos (2,996 tribute here), as a security guard. He died there at age 52, a victim in those terrible attacks.
James Hopper was much more than a victim though. He was a son, and a husband, and a father. A beloved uncle. James Patrick Hopper is survived by his wife Rita, his son James and his daughter Lauren, and many others in his family and community. He was a retired NYC Corrections Officer who lived in Farmingdale, NY and he started working at Cantor Fitzgerald in 1993.
I didn't know Mr. Hopper, but what I found on the Internet describes a dedicated family man who had a sense of humor and had built a good life. In this Newsday article, his daughter says he was not only a father, but a friend:
She said her father was more of a friend to her than anything else. He accompanied her to get her belly button pierced last August, she said.
"I always begged to have that done. And one day, I finally bothered him so much that he finally gave in." Lauren said her father's grunts and moans drowned out her own. "I said to him, 'Dad, it didn't hurt!'"
A cousin pays tribute:
Your big smile and fervent banter with family and friends often come to mind. You're still bringing a smile to my face and thoughts, Jim. May you bring similar feelings to everyone you left behind. Rest in peace.
A good man I think, whose loss is still felt by many today. His daughter takes comfort that he was with his brother-in-law that day:
"Just knowing he wasn't by himself and that he was with my uncle made me feel a little better," she said.
Yes, I can see that too. God Bless you, James Patrick Hopper, and your family and friends also. You are all in my thoughts and prayers today.
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