Larry Hopwo wasn’t loud. He wasn’t flashy. He never sought praise.
He was just “that guy.”
The guy who showed up, who listened, and who championed Chemainus baseball for more than 50 years.
Hopwo died in July at the age of 84, leaving behind a legacy woven deeply into the fabric of Chemainus. A celebration of life will be held Sunday, Aug. 10 at the Chemainus baseball park. A pancake breakfast will be served, naturally.
For decades, Hopwo made sure big events started with a hearty breakfast so kids (and adults) were fuelled for fun.
It wasn’t just about feeding people; it was fundraising. The pancake breakfasts were a staple at tournaments, with Hopwo working the griddle long after his official duties ended.
“Even when he wasn’t president, he tried to be up there serving pancakes,” said his daughter Naomi.
His name was known across town, but it was his kindness people remembered most. Again and again, friends, family and community members described him the same way: kind.
“Everybody knew him,” said his daughter Tracy. “He was just that guy.”
Whether you were a coach, a player or a parent in the stands, chances are you’d crossed paths with him. That made him an invaluable champion for community sports and the kids who played them. But it came with certain drawbacks for his own kids.
"I knew that if I did anything wrong, it would get back to my dad, because everyone knew my dad," said Tracy.
Despite a full-time job, volunteer duties and a family, Hopwo’s kids say he never seemed absent.
“I don’t feel like he missed out on anything that was to do with us,” said Naomi. “He just always made it work.”
Hopwo and his wife Wendy were married for nearly 57 years. They raised five children — Linda, Gail, Tracy, Brett and Naomi — and have 11 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
“He was strict, but fun,” Tracy said. “We’d get in trouble if we broke the rules, but sometimes we could work our way out of it…especially with Dad. He was just easygoing, kind, generous."
"And he always had our backs,” said Naomi.
Hopwo was a constant presence in Chemainus baseball. His tenure as president of the Chemainus & District Baseball Association (CBDA) began in 1970 and continued for more than 50 years. Before that, he was a player on the B.C. bantam championship team in 1954, and later coached multiple squads, including a girls’ team that won back-to-back Vancouver Island championships.
“He was always about the kids,” said longtime baseball coach and friend of Hopwo, Lorne LaFleur. “It didn’t matter if they were playing, umpiring or helping at the concession. He just wanted them to be part of it.”
While other communities might have let their teams fold when enrolment was low, Hopwo worked to keep Chemainus on the field. This wasn’t always an easy task.
“There were some lean years where baseball might have died,” said LaFleur. “I think if it wasn’t for Larry, we wouldn’t still have baseball in Chemainus."
“He was just one of those guys that made it happen, got things done,” LaFleur added.
Case in point: the current clubhouse at the Chemainus ballpark was once a MacMillan Bloedel building slated for demolition. Hopwo, who worked on the log booms at the mill like his father before him, secured the building for just $1. It became the foundation of the Chemainus ballpark clubhouse.
Rhianna Pettapiece started T-ball in Chemainus in 1997 and went on to play for Team BC and Junior Team Canada. She remembers Hopwo’s unwavering support.
“Whether it was playing in Chemainus with the boys, moving up to AAA, playing for Team BC and Junior Team Canada, or eventually coaching for the association, he was always happy to help me achieve that goal,” she said. “Through fundraising, access to fields and cages, and overall support, Larry was always there.”
Years later, when she returned to the Island and stopped by his house, they ended up laughing and talking baseball for more than an hour.
Hopwo’s impact wasn’t limited to baseball. When his five children took up other sports, he got involved too. He served as president of both Fuller Lake Minor Hockey and the Fuller Lake Skating Club. He also sharpened skates at Fuller Lake Arena for more than 40 years.
Hopwo was inducted into the North Cowichan/Duncan Sports Wall of Fame in 2010, the same year he received a BC Minor Baseball Builder Award recognizing his decades of leadership. He was also honoured with a namesake tournament — the annual Larry Hopwo Invitational — an under‑11 event that continues to draw teams from across Vancouver Island.
But it was never about the accolades. Hopwo showed up because he cared, especially when it came to kids. And it’s kids who still fill the ballfields, thanks to him.
Not everyone leaves behind a statue. Larry Hopwo left something better: a ballpark full of memories, a community full of stories and generations of kids who knew someone had their backs.
