By Sabarijah Hopkins
Rasjad (Robert) Hopkins passed away on Sunday, November 5th in Battleground, Washington at 89 years of age. He passed after contracting Covid 19 which was difficult to overcome because of other underlying health conditions.
He had a chance to say goodbye to several people in his life before his passing, and shared that he was at peace with his life and God, that he had lived a very full life with many blessings.
Rasjad was born in Chicago in 1934, and spent his formative years in Chicago, Seattle, and San Francisco. He was a sculptor, painter, and used his passion and knowledge of the fine arts to represent artists through several galleries he participated in and/or owned during his life.
In the early 1950s, Rasjad had a spiritual experience that led him on a journey to better understand what had transpired and to seek others who may have had similar experiences. This led him to finding Subud in the late 1950s. He was an active Subud member for many years in Seattle, San Francisco, and Marin. In his later years, he began to find it physically difficult to attend latihan, and we are grateful to brother Damon who would visit Rasjad weekly to do latihan together.
There were many friends and neighbors who knew, visited and supported Rasjad in his final years in San Francisco, until he moved to live with his daughter in Washington. He served many roles throughout his time as an active Subud member, but most importantly, he felt that it was important to share his story, faith, and love with others so that they could find their own path toward God.
Rasjad is survived by his former wives, 7 children, and 10 grandchildren. He once shared with me that the one thing he prayed for at the birth of his children was that they would grow to have a kind hearts and generous natures, and he felt blessed beyond measure that this was true for each of his children. For those who knew him, he was charismatic, had a strong zest and love of life, was passionate about art and gardening, was a supportive mentor, and always grateful to God for his many blessings.
To share your own memories of Rasjad, please use the comment box below, at the end of this post, below “Leave a Reply”
This is a link to an interview I did with Rasjad in July of last year where he tells the story of how he came into Subud and other experiences in his life.
https://youtu.be/lVpoM3_FGmo