John "Jack" Aloysius Hopson

Clearwater, FL - John Aloysius ("Jack") Hopson, 70, of Clearwater, Florida, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on June 10, 2014, after a prolonged illness. He was born February 13, 1944, in Philadelphia, PA, son of the late John and Mary (Sommers) Hopson. On November 25, 1967, he married Kathleen A. Glatthorn, who survives at home. Jack graduated in 1961 from West Philadelphia Catholic High School for Boys. In 1970, while playing professional golf, he accepted Christ as his Savior. Later, in 1984, he graduated from Piedmont Bible College (now Piedmont International University). Jack served the Lord in full-time ministry for over 25 years as a Pastor, Assistant Pastor, Missionary, and Evangelist in the U.S. and abroad. In August of 1980, he founded Grace Bible Church in Winston-Salem, NC, with a group of people who had been attending his Bible studies. Later, he served as a Vice President of Maranatha Baptist Bible College. Jack was the President and Founder of a not-for-profit junior golf tour, the Future Collegians World Tour (FCWT), which presents a fall-winter-spring venue of junior golf tournaments for ages 11-19. Jack was known for his love of the game, but even more for his love of the junior golfers, whose careers he continued to actively follow in college and even to the professional ranks. When he was on site for a golf tournament, he wanted to interact with the players to find ways to help them showcase their talent. Surviving, in addition to his devoted wife of 46 years, Kathleen, are two children, Kimberly Lunceford (Michael) of Elon, NC, and Jonathan Hopson of Clearwater, FL; three grandchildren, David, Jonathan and Sarah Lunceford; two sisters, MaryAnn Hayner (Mark) of Exeter, NH, and Kathleen Hopson of Houston, TX; along with many extended family members. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, July 12th at 11:30 am at the Hilton St. Petersburg at Carillon Park, 950 Lake Carillon Drive, Saint Petersburg, Florida, 33716. A block of rooms is available at the Hilton under John Hopson Memorial. Please call (727) 540-0050 to make your reservation. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Suncoast Hospice Foundation, 5771 Roosevelt Boulevard Clearwater, FL 33760 or in memory of Jack to the Financial Assistance Fund of the Future Collegians World Tour (FCWT), a 501(c)3 organization. --