Terry G Hopkins

Terry G Hopkins, 81, died at dawn the day before Valentine’s Day. Surrounded by family and her dog Pearl.

She was a newspaper woman and she made the world a better place because of it.

Born October 16, 1944 in Ocala, Florida to Patricia Gannett of Connor, Florida and John Gannett of Augusta, Maine.

Her father’s career in the army took them to Japan where she started kindergarten.

Already a citizen of the world she was raised in Maine and returned to Florida to live with her grandmother, Catherine Randall, and then graduated from the University of Florida journalism school.

Maine and Florida were her consistent home basis for Terry and her family as she traveled the country for work. Leaving an impact on each and every town “a newspaper was a community in conversation with itself “she would say. And as publisher, she cherished her leadership role and its responsibilities to the greater good- a free press and the role that played.

Starting with the influence of her family‘s newspapers in New England Guy P publishing of Maine. She was recruited by the Gannett company. Accepting her first post as publisher at the age of 35 at the Ithaca Journal in Ithaca, New York. Followed by the Norwich bulletin in Norwich, Connecticut and the Fort Myers News Press in Florida. This eventually led to her own Florida newspapers, including the Boca Beacon, which is still published today by Hopkins and daughter Incorporated.

She is survived by her daughter, Tricia, Dawn Hopkins, her grandchildren , Sam Gish, Kate and Caroline Hopkins and two siblings Randall Gannett and Genie Gannett.

Burial will be take place at Connor Cemetery Thursday, February 19, 2026 at 1:00 P.M.

Countryside funeral home is in charge of arrangements.