Billie Lee Hopkins

Billy Lee Hopkins, PhD, emeritus professor of psychology and resident of Johns Creek, GA passed away Monday August 29, 2011 at Peachtree Christian Hospice of Duluth. The Cause of death was lung cancer.

He was born in Hendron, KY, near Paducah, to Flora Lee (Washam) and Virgil Merritt Hopkins on December 4, 1935. He grew up within an easy walk of the family farm, often helping his Aunt Lizzie and Grandfather Papa Charlie mind the familys general store and filling station.

Bill attended Hendron Elementary School and Augusta Tilghman High School in Paducah. He graduated high school with honors in 1952 at age 16 and dreamed of becoming an aeronautical engineer. After attending his first two years of college at Bowling Green State University and Georgia Tech, he transferred to Emory University because he wanted to focus on helping people rather than designing airplanes. He graduated Emory University in 1957 with a degree in psychology, and went on to earn his PhD in clinical psychology at Indiana University in1962 and completed a one-year internship at Larue D. Carter Hospital in Indianapolis.

During his senior year at Emory, Bill met the love of his life Ethel Jane Bot May, and they married on August 17, 1957. They were blessed with son William Steven Will Hopkins, born in 1961, and daughter Helene Elizabeth Bobba Hopkins (Eversbusch) in 1962. Over the next decade Bill held teaching, research or administrative positions at several universities across the nation. He taught first at the University of Washington in Seattle, then at Florida State University in Tallahassee, FL, Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, and Southern Illinois University In Carbondale. In 1970 he moved his family to Lawrence, Kansas where he taught at The University of Kansas for 18 years. In 1988 Bill and Bot moved to Auburn, AL where Bill became professor and head of the psychology department at Auburn University. After 13 years there, he retired in 2001 as emeritus professor of psychology. Throughout his teaching career that spanned almost 40 years, he worked closely and tirelessly with students to help them follow their dreams and accomplish their professional and personal goals. His style was to be patient, calm, supportive, and very positive. He was best known for his friendly smile, encouraging words, humble nature and a genuine interest in the education and development of people of all ages.

Bills major research interests over the last 30 years were in the area of organizational behavior management and behavioral safety. During that time, he served on selection committees to fund NIOSH research grants, and consulted domestically and internationally in the area of performance and organizational behavior management. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Organizational Behavior Management Network in 2003. His earlier works included training teachers to use behavioral methods and techniques in the classroom to enhance learning for both special and regular education students. He was founder and principal of Super School, an experimental school that provided a rich site for ongoing educational research. He was an avid writer, co-editor, review editor and contributor to various professional journals in his field.

He contributed to his home communities through such acts as taking a turn as scoutmaster of Lawrence Boy Scout Troup 59, and by serving on the Lawrence USD 497 school board. Through service clubs, Kiwanis in Lawrence and Rotary in Auburn, he gave of his time and energy toward charitable causes and events.

Over the last decade, Bill poured himself into the lives of his family and friends, especially his grandbuddies, as he called them. Bill was an everyday feature at sports and social events at Wesleyan School, Northview High School in North Atlanta, and at James Bowie High School in Austin whenever possible. He was a huge supporter of musical and artistic development in youngsters and attended with delight his grandchildrens musical and dance performances as well as art shows. The scourge of youth sports referees from Georgia to Texas, he coached and cheered on his buddies with great passion. Bill was the #1 fan of his grandbuddies sports teams, including Northview Lacrosse, Wesleyan Lacrosse, Basketball, Track and Cross County, Norcross Soccer Academy Premier team, and the Bulldog football and basketball teams at James Bowie High School in Austin, TX.

He found a home in the Harvesters group at Perimeter Church and enjoyed the fellowship and intellectual stimulation he found there. He lived life to the fullest as if each day were his last, and was an inspiration to all those around him.

He was preceded in death by his parents Virgil Merritt and Flora Lee (Washam) Hopkins. He is survived by his wife of 54 years Ethel Bot (May) Hopkins of the home, son William S. Hopkins and daughter-in-law Julie L Hopkins of Dripping Springs, TX, daughter Helene Elizabeth Eversbusch and son-in-law Andy Eversbusch of Johns Creek, GA, sister Bettie A. Lamar of Paducah, Kentucky, and grandbuddies William L Hopkins of Dripping Springs, Alexander H, Elizabeth K, Nicholas C. A. and Grace V. Eversbusch of Johns Creek. Other survivors include Nephews Terry Lamar (Janet) of High Point, NC, Jesse Lamar of Atlanta, GA,

Arrangements by Byars Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Cumming, Georgia. (678) 455-5815.