Obituaries

Mariella ‘Ripesi’ Hopkins died peacefully, and according to her wishes, within the comfort of her home in Waterford, CT on Friday, August 30, 2019 at the age of 93.

She was born on June 15, 1927 in Senigallia, Italy, a coastal beach town on the Adriatic Sea. Mariella is the daughter of the late Geno Ripesi, a mechanic and WWII North African detention camp survivor. Her mother, Yolanda ‘Muzzi’ Ripesi, was born and raised in Fort Trumbull, New London, CT, before returning to Italy with her parents where she worked as a master seamstress for the Italian Embassy.

In 1949, after the war, Mariella emigrated to the United States with her mother and late sister Diana Santora. Together, they had survived the ravages of war, the aerial and sea bombing and occupation of their town by German and U.S. troops, starvation, illness, and poverty, before reaching American shores to begin a new life.

In 1950, Mariella married the late William R Hopkins, great grandson of Pilgrims Steven Hopkins and William Brewster, and proud Connecticut Swamp Yankee, in a ceremony at Saint Joseph Church in New London, CT. In 1959, she proudly became an American citizen.

Mariella loved to cook Northern Italian recipies, some of which date back to the Middle Ages, including Vincisgrassi with layers of transparent, hand rolled sheets of pasta, covered in besciamella and red sauce; her signature rosemary infused Pollo a la Cacciatore; Mariella’s ‘Kitchen Soup’, the best chicken soup in the world; and, her amazing lemon meringue pie, to name a few.

Mariella was a passionate gardener, known for her eye stopping mix of vibrant perennial flowers interplanted with prized tomatoes, the first of which ripened, placed lovingly alongside her husband ‘Bud’ Hopkins’ gravestone, each year. She enjoyed oil painting and singing Italian opera. She was an expert seamstress, like her mother, and designed and hand sewed many of the dresses and outfits her daughters wore as children.

Mariella was a news junkie, a patriotic Trump supporter, and feared nothing but the sound of thunder. As a WWII survivor, the noise reminded her of bomb strikes that she survived as a young girl in Italy. She was most proud of her ability to live independently, in her home, until the end of her life. Most who knew Mariella would describe her, affectionately, as a ‘tough’ lady. She left a lasting impression with whomever she met and had many friends looking after her.

She is survived by four children: Diane Casey of Georgia, Richard Hopkins and his wife Claudette of Georgia, Patricia McClure and her husband Eugene McClure of Waterford, CT and Lori Hopkins- Cavanagh and her husband Timothy Cavanagh of Norwich, CT, as well as, five grandchildren and nine great grandchildren. She cherished her late grandson, Eugene McClure of Waterford. To respect her wishes, services and burial were private for the family. In lieu of flowers and condolences, donations can be made in her name to Hospice of Southeastern Connecticut.