Hazel June Sopko

Hazel June Dunning Signs Sopko 

May 23, 1933 – June 28, 2025

It is with deep sorrow, we announce the death of Hazel Sopko, who at the age of 92 joined her Savior in heaven. In her teen years she was a favored Sunday School teacher at the Flemmingville Methodist Church. She lived her faith by trusting Jesus to take care of her in times of plentiful blessings and in times of deep sorrows.

She was born and raised on a dairy farm in Newark Valley, NY during the depression years. She used a practical approach to life that used many of the skills learned growing up, such as gardening and preserving the fruits of those labors via canning and freezing into her 90th year. She enjoyed living independently to nearly the very end.

She enjoyed showing her love for family and friends through baking, and cooking from scratch home cooked meals. She was an avid book reader and passed her passion for reading on to her children and grandchildren.

Married life took her from the southern tier of NYS to Colorado, Buffalo, NY, and Rochester NY, before returning to where she was raised in Newark Valey NY.

She is pre-deceased by her father Floyd Dunning, 1890-1952, her mother Hazel Fern Dunning, 1898-1968, her first husband Lloyd J. Signs, 1933-1954, her second husband John W. Sopko,1931-2009, and her son Wayne D. Sopko, 1956-2022 and grandson Andrew J. Michaloski, 1993-2009.

She is survived by her other three children, Lloyd L. Signs 1953, Lois M. Michaloski, 1954, and Timothy M. Sopko, 1964.

She enjoyed sharing her love with family and friends by baking and cooking from scratch home cooked meals. She enjoyed embroidery, knitting, crocheting, sewing, and puzzles. But she really enjoyed fishing!! One of her final requests in life was fresh caught, fried fish.

Friends and family are invited to a memorial service celebrating her life on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, at the MacPherson Funeral Home, 5 Whig Street, Newark Valley, NY at 6:00 p.m. a period of visitation will take place following the service. Memories and condolences can be shared in Hazel's online guest book at www.macphersonfh.com.