Jeanne

Hopewell

On December 22, 1922, Jeanne C. Bethea was born into the world. The first daughter of Ernest Sr. and Dalethian "Mama Dee" Bethea, Jeanne spent her childhood being raised on their farm in the very small town of Magnolia, North Carolina. This is where that independent spirit we all know began to be formulated. Over time, the family grew to include her brothers Ernest the 2nd and Charles, with her sister Patricia arriving along the way. Jeanne had always spoken fondly of life in those days, though things would eventually change dramatically. With a significant shift in the family dynamic, Mother & children relocated to the big city in New York, where she attended Girls High School in Brooklyn. Sometime later, Jeanne would find a new home for herself in Harlem.

A graduate of St. John's University, she first started working as a Public Health Nurse at Harlem Hospital, fulfilling a need to provide public service. That is until her sister Pat, who had become a public-school teacher herself, mentioned the benefits she was receiving from her job. Nothing had quite engaged her interest until Pat stated something Jeanne hadn't considered about nurse's work schedules: you can't take two whole months off every summer. This got her thinking. You see, tennis was a passion of Jeanne's, as both player as well as spectator. Two months of every year to play tennis all summer was just the ideal transition from the absolute chaos that her hospital had become in the 1960s. With this in mind, Jeanne embarked on a slight career pivot from nurse to teacher in Harlem's public elementary schools.

Another great love of Jeanne's was travel, which she acquired while accompanying her sister to Italy, where Pat was to be married. During this time, Jeanne had also been married to Bruce Hopewell, but this was not to last. Instead, she would find her true home as resident of Englewood, New Jersey, where she retired from teaching to focus on the next phase of her life: globetrotting. Over the years, Jeanne has traveled everywhere, from Haiti to Cuba which she adored, Russia to Calgary for the Winter Olympics, throughout Europe, Asia, Africa and The Netherlands. Upon returning from one such excursion, an idea arose to research the family lineage back to the motherland and found our kin comes from Nigeria. Family history was something Jeanne took great pride in.

Into her 50s & 60s, she became a sports enthusiast and athlete, having done cross-country and downhill skiing, an avid swimmer, as well as a passionate tennis player who competed in The Senior Olympics.

Some of her other extracurricular activities involved serving as a member of The Friends of Doctor W.F. Willoughby, becoming President in 1983. This organization was founded to honor the first African-American physician at Englewood Hospital.

The "Friends" scholarships are awarded to African and African-American nursing students in the collaborative programs led by Englewood Hospital Medical Center, the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, and Ramapo College. Annually, a jazz band would perform for contributors as a fundraiser.

Those early turbulent years working in the community influenced her role as a steadfast activist and advocate of education and civil rights throughout her adult life. Jeanne was an active participant in National Action Network, the organization started by Rev. Al Sharpton in 1991, which promotes a modern civil rights agenda of justice. She has also lived a commitment to voicing her anti-war position, standing in protest with other local demonstrators at the Teaneck Armory. Every Wednesday, you could be sure she was there with a sign reading "Bring Our Troops Home" or "End the War".

In her senior years, Jeanne has been honored with several accolades from various presenters. On July 6, 2015, she was given a special certificate and title: Protector of the Family, by Pope Francis and his "Save The Families" program. In 2018, Galilee United Methodist Church & the Woman's Day Committee gave her a plaque in appreciation for years of dedicated work and accomplishments as a woman in the community. In 2019, Mrs. Hopewell was bestowed with two awards. One was a citation of service by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey. The other was a Community Service Award presented by the Rotary Club of Englewood. Last year in 2023, for her civil rights activism and education advocacy, the Community Seventh Day Adventist Church acknowledged her with a heartfelt trophy.

Being a deeply spiritual person, this champion for people would never hesitate to tell you about, or introduce you to her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and how he also loves You! After recuperating from an illness, "sister Jeanne" could be seen in the pews at worship every Saturday & Sunday she was able to be present – and that was just about every Saturday at Community SDA, and Sunday at Galilee Church. Praising with her friends and enjoying the children's songs & performances were the highlights of every week.

Jeanne Hopewell, our beloved matriarch, was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers and sister. She is survived by several generations of nieces and nephews, cousins, extended family, friends and, of course, her close companion, Fiola. This glorious woman is an inspiration to all who met her, even some people who never did.