Marilyn Hopper

Marilyn Hopper, 86, of Beaumont, died Thursday, September 11, 2025. She was born on October 15, 1938, in Chicago, Illinois, to Myrtle Kooda and C.D. Spears.

Marilyn was the oldest of 5 children: 2 sisters, Shirley and Beth, and 2 brothers, Buddy and Ralph. Her family moved to Highlands, Texas when she was in Junior high school. Her future husband, Jack Hopper, spotted the new girl in town who he described as looking like a “movie star”, and they ended up only dating each other all through school and got married shortly after high school. Marilyn and Jack married, and Marilyn worked at Texas A&M university to put dad through school at A&M, then they moved to University of Delaware, and LSU, while Marilyn worked to put dad through school the whole way through.   They moved to Beaumont and Marilyn then went to college at Lamar University to get her education degree all while raising her children and taking care of the family. She worked at Helena Park Elementary in Nederland teaching kindergarten and 1st grade for over 40 years. She loved teaching and touched many lives in her over 40-year career.

Marilyn was a “scratch” cook and was known for her homemade dishes like from scratch apple pies, mashed potatoes, cornbread dressing, Martha Washington candies, and holiday wassail. Holidays and special occasions were always very special, and everyone looked forward to Marilyn’s homemade cooking.

She was also an expert seamstress making clothes for the family and curtains and Prom dresses and formals for daughter Connie.

In her retirement years she knitted hats for the newborn babies for Saint Elizabeth and Baptist Hospitals, she made hundreds of baby hats!

Marilyn was a devout Christian, raising her family to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  Her Christian faith was of most importance to her being Jesus to everyone she encountered!

Survivors include her daughter, Connie Weber and her husband, Dan Weber, of Nederland; son, Brad Hopper and his wife, Moni Hopper, of Nederland; sister and brother-in-law, Beth and Chuck Harris of New Braunfels; grandchildren, Holden Hopper of Nederland and Josh Matthews and his wife, Kira Matthews, of Lumberton; great-grandchildren, Luke, Jack, and Emilia (Emmy) Matthews of Lumberton, and lots of nieces and nephews that love her so very much.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Jack Hopper; brother and sister-in-law, Clayton (Buddy) and Melba Spears; sister, Shirley Erwin; brother, Ralph Spears; sister-in-law, Sue Campbell; parents, C.D. And Myrtle Spears; and granddaughter, Maggie Hopper.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Maggie Lisette Hopper Bright Light Foundation, https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=PXS9NZXMCKPMW

A gathering of Mrs. Hopper’s family and friends will begin at 10:00 a.m., with her funeral service to follow at 11:00 a.m., Saturday, September 13, 2025, at Holy Cross Lutheran Church, 2711 Helena Avenue, Nederland, under the direction of Broussard’s, 505 North 12^th Street, Nederland. Her graveside service will follow at 3:30 p.m., at Earthman Memory Gardens Cemetery, 8624 Garth Road, Baytown.