Dan was born Nov.12, 1946 in Winchester Memorial Hospital, Winchester Virginia, to Chief Warrant Officer Joseph Vincent Hoopes, and Louise Thomas Hoopes. Dan was raised by his maternal grandmother, Eva Foreman Geist. Dan died April 29, 2023 in Winchester. He was the sixth generation of his mother’s family to be born and raised in Winchester.
Dan was a 1965 graduate of James Wood High School where he was a member of the 1965 State Runner-Up Basketball Team. He attended Shenandoah College until October 1967 when he was drafted by the U.S. Army. He served in Vietnam on the base camp of the 11th Armored Cavalry commanded by Col. George S. Patton. Following his military service, he enrolled in Elon College, graduating in 1973. Dan was a lifelong Elon Ambassador.
Dan began working at the 26th District Juvenile Court System Unit with his buddy, Doug Tucker, in December 1973, retiring in December 2008 as District Supervisor. He continued working part time with the Frederick County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, offering litigation support from 2009 until April 2018.
Dan was a proud community supporter, a supporter of all things sports, and was an avid golfer. He served on the Winchester Board of Zoning Appeals, on the Winchester Education Foundation Board, on the Winchester Parks and Recreation Board, and was Block captain of the Christmas Eve Whittier Acres Luminary Fundraiser for over 40 years. Dan began service on the JAA Board in 1989, and then served as a Senior Board Member (1991-2020). In recognition of his service, the JAA awarded him The Ancil Gray Distinguished Service Award, and The Eddie Manuel Distinguished Service Award. Dan was inducted into The Hunter Maddex Hall of Fame in 2005. He was also a member of The James Wood Touchstone Club, The Elon Phoenix Assn., The Moose, The Winchester Country Club, and The Hole-In-One Club.
Dan married Gwendolyn Firek on August 2, 1975 in Fredericksburg VA. Survivors also include: son, Mitchel Thomas Hoopes of Winchester; daughter, Morgan Lang Schoener of Sterling; son-in-law, Christian George Schoener, and granddaughter, Langley Georgia Schoener. Also surviving are: half siblings, and their families, Michael L. Hoopes of Greenwood, Indiana, and Betsy Hoopes Husser of Stafford, Virginia; and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.
Also surviving are: lifelong In-Crowd friends: Bill Hall, Boo Snider, Bob Schenck, Paul Milton, Bill Myers, and Gordie Legg; and, college friends, Steve Patterson, and the Elon EZB Brothers.
“Friendships, along with love, make life worth living.”
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Judges Athletic Association (JAA) to support the `Danny Hoopes Memorial Scholarship.’ Mail to: JAA, P.O. Box 2213, Winchester, VA 22604
Visitation will be at Omps Funeral Home, Amherst Chapel from 10am to 12pm on Wednesday May 3. Graveside services will be private.