March 3, 1942 – November 17, 2025
William Charles (Bill) Hopkins III was born on March 3, 1942, in Denver, Colorado, a force of nature from his earliest days — endlessly curious, full of energy, and overflowing with zest for life.
His first glimpse of Ouray came on a delivery run with his father for the family oxygen business, traveling through the breathtaking beauty of Red Mountain Pass in the 50’s. He never forgot it, and in 1974, he made it his home.
Bill’s teenage years were spent on construction job sites alongside his dad; from constructing the ‘Minute Man’ missile silos in Cheyenne to the NORAD center in Colorado Springs.
His father died of cancer when Bill was 19, and the loss shaped the man he would become. He enlisted in the U.S. Army, trained as a medic for a Green Beret team, and carried the bonds and adventures of those years and pride of service with him for the rest of his life.
After his military service, Bill settled in Denver, working for United Airlines and nurturing a lifelong love of aviation. He met his beloved wife Carole while she was teaching at Golden High School. They married in 1969, and together they built something rare — a life woven into the fabric of a community they loved.
Bill was a dedicated member of St. Daniel’s Church, and the church community and his faith were very important to him.
In Ouray, Bill and Carole purchased the Cottage Motel at 4th and Main and ran it for over 40 years. When Bill’s craving for ice cream sparked an idea, The Cottage Shoppe was born — a beloved institution that served thousands of happy customers, with Bill and Carole pouring their hearts (and countless hours) into homemade ice cream, waffle cones, and treats.
Later, alongside their daughter Heidi, the family opened Billy Goat’s Biergarten — a nod to the “Billy Goat” himself, with his love of a cold beer and a great view. Both businesses employed hundreds of young people over the years, including nearly 100 foreign exchange students, many of whom became like family to the Hopkins and who remain close to them today.
Bill served Ouray in every way he could; several terms on City Council, as manager of Box Canyon Falls and the Hot Springs Pool, he was a founding member of the Mountain Rescue Team, and an ambassador for the Ouray Chamber as he and Carole represented Ouray at travel shows across the West with their two daughters in tow.
He continued to fly during those years, serving as a pilot for Colorado Ute Electric Company and exploring destinations across the U.S. and Mexico in the family’s Cessna whenever they could steal away.
Bill was an avid motorcyclist, commuting to the Montrose airport for years on his BMW bike (snow never held him back). Bill’s love of aviation knew no bounds, and he ultimately flew Challenger jets for Raytheon Travel Air and was an instructor for corporate clients at Flight Safety International.
He flew former presidents, celebrities and world figures, but nothing topped the pure joy of being up in the clouds for Bill.
A lifelong learner with an unshakeable faith in humanity’s capacity to improve itself through science, Bill maintained a deep fascination with clean energy technology that traced back to his father’s oxygen business, attending conferences and seeking out new knowledge well into his later years.
Bill never met a stranger. His authentic warmth, generosity, and love were given freely and without reservation to everyone he encountered.
Even in his final days, in the quiet haze of Alzheimer’s, he never forgot Carole, his girls, or his grandchildren. He considered his wife and children and grandchildren the highlight of his life, and let them know how much he loved them each and every day. He left the world better than he found it.
Bill is survived by his wife of 57 years, Carole; his daughters, Heidi Albritton and Piper O’Neill and sons-in-law Steve and Billy; his sister, Annette Dysart; his grandchildren, Rowan and Sawyer Albritton, and beloved nieces and nephews and friends.
The family will host a Celebration of Life on June 28th from 4-6 PM at the Wright Opera House in Ouray. All who knew and loved Bill are warmly welcome.
Bill’s ashes will be interred in Cedar Hill Cemetery following a mass led by Father Nat at St. Daniel’s Church, at 10 am on June 29th.
