All of us in Building a Bridge wish you a happy and peaceful New Year.

Building a Bridge celebrates the 16th year of its existence. We reflect with pride on our accomplishments achieved during the continuing journey to overcome the adversities we were presented with. We thank our families, our friends, and the Charlottesville community for the support they have given us. We, as Building a Bridge family, want to share with you our hope for a kinder and a more peaceful world as we enter another year. — Heinz Kramp, President

Remembering John Gordon Hopper

Sadly,we lost John Hopper, a long-term resident of The Bridge, last September. He died at the age of 68 due to congestive heart failure.

John was a 1961 graduate of Princeton University. He earned an M.A. in Education from Temple University. He was a Director of The Kingsbury Center in Washington, DC from 1969 to 1972. Earlier, he had been the Vice-President of Independent Educational Services, Inc. in Princeton, NJ.

After a brain injury in 1972, John became a resident of Innisfree in Crozet, VA in 1974 and then joined Heinz at Building a Bridge. He was greatly admired and loved by everyone for his courage, persistence, and dignity. The phrase that he used often on his challenging path was “never quit, never give up.”

John Self-Portrait

He remembered loving and being loved; he knew and took pride in his children, Ailish and Jasper, and their accomplishments; he fought with courage and absolute strength to live the best life he could, to keep and enjoy that life despite the assaults of fate. He cherished his wife Ethna, and she was a strong and dedicated supporter not only of John but also of everyone in Building a Bridge. During the recent years, John shared his home with Robert Braeutigam, who cared for John and helped with his daily routines; they enjoyed each other’s company, watching movies, taking walks, and discussing sports. We all miss John tremendously and he will be in our hearts and memory forever.