Dudley Robert Mason Burch HOPKIRK & Kathleen MARTIN

Dudley Robert Mason Burch HOPKIRK, known as "Bob",  was born on 14 November 1923 in Kawakawa, in the North  Region of New Zealand, to Robert Erriton Burch HOPKIRK and Ethel H. MASON.

Bob married Kathleen MARTIN in New York on 8 September 1951. Bob was a student at Columbia University studying for a masters degree in Political Science. Kathleen was teaching primary school children.

In 1956 the family, now with a young daughter, moved to New Dehli, India.  Bob was working for the United Nations from 1956 to 1958 while in India. Kathleen was the Principal of the International School in New Delhi, which their young daughter also attended.
In 1958 Bob started working for the World Health Organization(WHO) agency of the United Nations, and spent most of that time in Switzerland, until 1964.
In 1965 he began working for the Food and Agricultural Organization(FAO) agency of the United Nations, with most of his time being in Italy until 1969.
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Bob and Kathleen divorced in 1968.


Kathleen Martin Hopkirk and Bob Hopkirk, probably from the early 1960's when they were in Switzerland.

Kathleen Martin Hopkirk and young daughter                                                                                         Bob Hopkirk

Bob was also very interested in his Hopkirk family history, and during his early years working for the UN he also scheduled a meeting with the British Silent Movie Actor Gordon HOPKIRK, but sadly Gordon died in an accident about 3 weeks before they were scheduled to meet in Bangkok, Thailand in 1956. Fortunately Bob had persuaded Gordon to send him the details from Gordon's old family bible which had entries dating back to 1795.
Thanks to Bob's efforts to contact Gordon Hopkirk in Thailand that crucial family history for the Nairobi Hopkirk branch of the family was saved, and we were able to prove that Gordon had been in possession of the 3rd, and still missing, Hopkirk Coat of Arms, and that the Nairobi Hopkirk branch was the most closely related branch to the Glasgow Hopkirks, the holders of the other two Hopkirk Coats of Arms. The Melrose Hopkirk branch of the family has to go back an additional 3 more generations before they connect with the Glasgow Hopkirk branch of the family.  Unfortunately the bible and coat of arms were forever lost with the sudden death of Gord\on,  but the information was saved by Bob.
See the information Bob was able to gather through correspondence with Gordon here: http://www.hopkirk.org/hopkirk/Page12233.html Here is info about Gordon HOPKIRK

Bob passed away on 8 October 1999 in London, UK and Kathleen passed away in New ZEaland on 12 August 2006.

They left a daughter, a son and grandchildren in New Zealand and the UK.



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This page was last updated on 14 June 2015