Gloria Louise Hopkins

Gloria Hopkins went to our Lord on October 23, 2024 at the age of 96. She was married to Paul for almost 60 years, and now 17 years later, is together again! They were blessed with 10 children, 17 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren.

Gloria’s 10 children are:

• Pamela (75) and spouse Dave, plus three children & six grandchildren.

• Jack (73) and spouse Jenny, plus three children & three grandchildren

• Timothy (70) and spouse Grace, plus one child and two grandchildren

• Stephen (69) and spouse Lynn, plus two children and three grandchildren

• Philip (67) and spouse Anne-Marie, plus three children

• Suzanne (deceased at 54), plus one child Tiffany; and one grandchild

• Julia (63) and spouse Pete, plus two children

• Gloria Paul (deceased at infancy- DOB 7/8/63)

• Thomas (56)

• Peter (54) and spouse Anna, plus two children

Gloria was born in Petaluma, CA on October 4th, 1928. Jim Wahlstrom, her brother and a father of two children, survives her. Gloria spent her first couple of years living in Hollywood CA, but then her parents relocated to Dallas TX in 1931, and then to Monroe LA in 1934. By 1938, the marriage ended with her mother Helen moving with her children back to Hollywood, California. Although her mother was trained as a surgical nurse, she became a real estate broker to make ends meet. Gloria attended Blessed Sacrament Jesuit parochial school, and then went on to graduate from Hollywood High School in 1945. She briefly attended Pasadena City Junior College.

Gloria met her eventual husband Paul Hopkins at a roller rink in Los Angeles. Although Paul was born and raised in Scranton PA, it was during a chance layover in Los Angeles after World War 2 ended, that he decided to make California his home by becoming a student at USC in their Pharmacy School. After a couple of years dating, they married on December 27, 1947. Upon graduating from USC with his degree in Pharmacy in 1948, his first job was at a Pharmacy in Montecito (Santa Barbara), where their first two children (Pam & Jack) were born. They lived in an apartment right above the drugstore.

When in 1952 Paul had a chance to buy a drugstore in Canoga Park, they moved the family to Reseda. They bought their first home for $9,900 - needing only 10% down and a Veteran’s loan at 4% interest. As the family grew by another two boys, they again moved in 1955 to a larger house in Canoga Park that was closer to his store. Conveniently, the house was located only ½ block from St. Joseph the Worker parish and school, where the kids were able to walk to school. After the addition of three more children, they decided to convert their garage into a giant bedroom where all four boys had their own built-in beds and a large built-in four person desk to use for their schoolwork.

Paul sold his pharmacy store in 1965 and took a job at Cooley’s Pharmacy in Camarillo. Soon thereafter, their family of seven moved to a larger six-bedroom house in Thousand Oaks. They became parishioners at St. Paschal Baylon church. Although two more children were born in 1968 and 1970, it wasn’t until Gloria was in her 8th month of pregnancy with her 10th child Peter, when her oldest daughter Pamela got married and her oldest son Jack got drafted into the Army at 19. By the mid 70’s, only their three youngest children were still living at home. In 1979, Paul ended up buying his own pharmacy again (Medicine Shoppe) in Ventura. This business prospered over the next 8 years, when he decided to sell it as he planned for retirement. Although he continued working for a few more years, he finally decided to retire in 1989 after his youngest child Peter graduated from Thousand Oaks High School.

Soon thereafter, Paul and Gloria decided to downsize their home and move to Temecula with their two youngest (Tommy & Peter) who were still living at home. They lived there for 10 years, until as empty nesters, they decided to move back to Thousand Oaks in 1999. Gloria and Paul had a great time enjoying life and traveling, including to Europe, until Paul’s untimely death in June 2007 when he was 81 years old. It wasn’t until 2011 that Gloria decided to move to Corona to be near her daughter Suzanne. It was there in 2013, that Gloria had to then endear the sudden death of her daughter Suzanne at only 54. It wasn’t until the start of Covid in 2020 that Gloria decided to move to Las Vegas to be near her daughter Julia Grambo and her son Tim. One thing about Gloria was that she LOVED to play those slot machines. Forever she was going to win that jackpot.

Just 69 days before her passing, Gloria moved for her final time to Lake Forest, California so she could be most convenient for her immediate family members, especially her 92-year old brother Jim Wahlstrom. Everyone was able to visit her multiple times during her final days. Gloria died in peace, and certainly lived a beautiful life, leaving a rich legacy of family members. Her children remember her as a great stay at home mother for all of them. She will be sadly missed, but everyone is at peace knowing she is together again with her beloved husband Paul in heaven.

Gloria’s funeral will be held at St. Paschal Baylon Catholic Church in Thousand Oaks on Saturday, November 16th at 10am. This was the same Church Gloria’s family went to for 25 years, and where her husband Paul had his funeral back in 2007. There will be a graveside service immediately following at Assumption Catholic cemetery in Simi Valley at 11:30am, with a reception to follow at the home of her grandchild. Two of her grandchildren will be performing on the Alto Saxophone and the Clarinet at both the Mass and graveside ceremony.