Bernard Joseph Hopkins lll

January 15, 1954 to August 27, 2025

Bernard "Bernie" Hopkins passed peacefully in his sleep at Inspira Mannington.

Bernie was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He was a man of few words, but his heart was big enough to speak for him. Born and raised in Bayonne NJ. Bernie graduated from Bayonne High school in 1972. In 1974 he joined the US Navy. He was very proud of the Navy and the time he served. Watching the Army-Navy football game was a highlight for him, he always knew the Navy had a better shot of winning! Bernie served in Vietnam on the USS Kirk as a boiler technician firearm recruit. During that time the USS Kirk carried out one of the most significant humanitarian missions in US military history. Bernie physically left the Navy in 1977 but the Navy always remained a part of him. In 1980 he took the job he would retire from in 2009 at Meadowview Psychiatric Hospital in Secaucus for Hudson County where he was a stationary engineer as a Boiler technician.

In 1982 Bernie married his wife Patricia (Wojcik) and they moved to Pennsville NJ where they raised their family; their son Bernard Joseph Hopkins lV, daughter Kimberly (Byrne) Sassi (Mark), son Salvatore Byrne (Robyn) and son Christopher Byrne (Heather).

Bernie's family continued to grow with grandchildren; Kim and Mark blessed him with James and Justin Kugler along with Alexis (James), Caitlin (Kyle) and Samantha Sassi. Sal and Robyn blessed him with Jacob and Toby Byrne along with Tyler, Charlotte (James), Nicholas and Dharma. Christopher and Heather blessed him with Christopher Jr., Ariel and Hope Byrne. He is also survived by many great-grandchildren, his sisters Mary Ann Hopkins (Phil), Susan Jordan (Stuart) and Margaret O'Connell (Jay), and many other loving family members.

Bernie was predeceased by his loving wife Patty in 2007, his son, Christopher Sr., in 2009, his mother, Mary Hopkins (McFadden), in 2002 and his father, Bernard Joseph Hopkins Jr., in 2024.

Services will be private.