We Miss You, Stevie!
In loving memory of our dear friend, every Sunday of the 2024 Abilities Expos will be Stevie Hopkins Day. We invite all who knew and admired Stevie to proudly wear their 3E Love apparel, featuring the Wheelchair Heart that has become emblematic within the disability community.
Stevie Hopkins, 40, of Batavia,IL, passed away unexpectedly on January 24, 2024. Stevie is survived by his parents Steve and Leslie Hopkins, Grandmother Rosie Hopkins, numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, countless friends, associates and admirers. Stevie was preceded in death by his amazing sister and partner in adventure, Annie Hopkins.
Disability Advocate, Entrepreneur, Loyal Friend: The Life of Stevie Hopkins
Stevie was born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy type 2. While making life challenging, his disability in no way defined him. Thanks to the unwavering love and support of his parents and his relentless optimism, Stevie led an amazing life. He had a presence and glow about him from day one. As a youngster, he was fiercely intelligent. He excelled at school and enjoyed various hobbies such as video games, playing hockey and baseball, rooting for the Bulls, White Sox, and Bears, and enjoying time with family. MDA summer camp was the highlight of every year, reconnecting with friends and causing mischief.
Stevie continued his love of learning at Batavia High School where he graduated at the top of the class.
Stevie earned two bachelor's degrees, Business Administration and Finance, (with a minor in Party Animal Studies) from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Many lifelong friendships began on campus at Beckwith Hall.
Stevie's creativity never ceased after college. With his sister Annie, he launched 3E Love, a disability pride lifestyle brand founded to help change society's perception of disability and provide tools for others to embrace diversity. Through the quick success of 3E Love, Stevie traveled the country to different expos and various organizations to publicly speak about his experiences.
Aside from his disability advocacy work, Stevie spent time as a concert promoter in Chicago where he befriended several local bands. A serial entrepreneur, he quickly realized he could leverage his printing knowledge from 3E Love to create merchandise for the music industry and Second City Prints (SCP) was born.
SCP experienced unbelievable growth due to Stevie's tenacity, tireless work ethic and desire to create the premier music merchandise organization. At its peak, SCP employed over 200 team members. Stevie created an inclusive organization that embodied many of the philosophies of 3E Love and treated his employees like family.
Beyond these accolades, Stevie had numerous other admirable attributes. He was an incredible storyteller, had a wicked sense of humor, and a very gentle demeanor. Loving and fiercely loyal, he gave the best advice, advocated for others and was a sincere friend to everyone he met.
Memorial Services
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, February 3rd from 12:00 P.M. CST until 6:00 P.M. CST at Moss Family Funeral Home, 209 S. Batavia Ave. Batavia, IL 60510. Dress like Stevie. This could be gear from 3E Love, the University of Illinois, Da Bears, the White Sox, or anything you think Stevie would love. Comfort is encouraged.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to an organization that is near and dear to your heart.
Embrace diversity. Educate your community. Empower each other. Love life.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Stevie, please visit the floral store.
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