Rhoda Joan Root

1929 - 2017

Mystic - Rhoda Joan Hopkins Root, beloved wife of Dr. Howard Frank Root, passed away peacefully on June 18, 2017. She was born on Feb. 12, 1929, the daughter of J. Edwin and Elsie Hopkins.

Graduated Woodhull Country Day School, Long Island, and Brooklyn Friends School.

Played tennis under the direction of Mercer Beasley.

Toured the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

Became a member of the Junior Wightman Cup Team, and the Sears Cup Team.

Ranked eighth in the United States Ladies Singles.

Won the Canadian National Singles Championship, and the Championship of Mexico.

Played at Forest Hills and Wimbledon.

Married Major Frederick C. Collin in Palm Beach, Fla. in 1952.

Maintained houses in Purchase, N.Y., Palm Beach, New York City, Detroit, and Patras in Greece.

Former member of the West Side Tennis Club, Forest Hills, The River Club, N.Y., The Westchester Country Club, The Greenwich Country Club, Golden's Bridge Hounds, Metamora Hunt Club, The Everglades and Bath and Tennis Clubs in Palm Beach. Recently a member and on the Board of Trustees of Ram Island Yacht Club.

Mrs. Rhoda Hopkins built and operated Open Gate Farm in Newtown, as well as the Polo Grounds Shopping Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. The farm was sold in 1978. In 1979, Mrs. Hopkins became the first woman to be named as Huntsman to the Fairfield County Hounds, and the first woman in the country to occupy the position of professional huntsman to a recognized pack of foxhounds.

During her tenure with the Fairfield, she brought that Penn-Marydel pack to high honors at the Bryn Mawr Hound Show, winning the Pack Class for seven consecutive years. She remained with the Fairfield as Huntsman until July 1994, when she left to assume the position as Huntsman to the Old Chatham Hunt Club, just south of Albany, N.Y. She remained as Huntsman until her retirement in the spring of 2000.

Mrs. Hopkins moved to Stonington and became an interpreter at the Mystic Seaport Museum. In January of 2002, she was named coordinator of Volunteer Services at the Museum and in January 2012 became associate director of Volunteer Services.

Rhoda Hopkins was married to Dr. Howard Frank Root in September of 2006, and they lived in Mumford Cove until moving to Bishops Cove and subsequently to StoneRidge in Mystic where she volunteered as coordinator of The Country Store. Her boat, Hoagie III, is docked at Mystic Marine, Stonington.

A Celebration of Rhoda's Life will be held at noon on Saturday, July 8, at Ram Island Yacht Club.

In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to The Ames Fund, Ram Island Yacht Club, 60 Front St., Noank, CT 06340.