For any artist, there’s no telling when motivation will strike. For George Hopkins, it came when he was watching TV, and he saw an elderly Fidel Castro appear on the screen. He had already started writing a story set in Cuba, but seeing the infirm Castro gave him the kick he needed; he was determined to finish it before Cuba’s leader died. Hopkins would go on to write nine novels in total. A longtime Prince’s Bay resident, he often incorporated Staten Island places and names in his books.
Hopkins, who worked at Susan E. Wagner High School for 26 years as a teacher and assistant principal, died on Dec. 17. He was 82.
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