Elizabeth Jane Arnot-Hopffer, a graduate student in the College of Education’s principal certificate program, died June 14, 2009, in Tucson. She was 51.
A former bilingual elementary and middle school teacher, Dr. Arnot-Hopffer was to begin her job as principal of Los Ranchitos Elementary School in the coming school year.
Dr. Arnot-Hopffer served as a clinical assistant professor in the University of Arizona College of Education and worked with Sunnyside Unified School District students as the associate director of the UA’s GEAR UP grant. She also created the innovative program Math and Mariachi to engage students in learning math through learning mariachi music. She earned her doctorate from the University of Arizona in Language, Reading and Culture. She also received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from UA.
Dr. Arnot-Hopffer is survived by her husband, Decio; sons, Decio Salvador and Carlos William, all of Tucson; father, James Arnot of Oklahoma City and mother and step-father, Marie and Loyd Fischer of Lincoln, Neb.; father- and mother-in-law, Salvador and Milucy Hopffer and sister-in-law, Daguimar Hopffer of the Cape Verde Islands; sister Ann (Steve) Davis of Grass Valley, Calif.; brother- and sister-in-law, Charlie and Susan Arnot of Kansas City, Missouri; brother, Jim Arnot from Tucson; sister, Brenda Arnot from Polk, Neb., and dozens of extended family members.
A memorial service will be held at 9 a.m. Thursday, June 18, at Southside Presbyterian Church, 317 W. 23rd St., Tucson. A reception celebrating Dr. Arnot-Hopffer’s life will be held following the service at the church. Memorial contributions can be made to the Hopffer Family Education Fund at any Tucson area Old Pueblo Credit Union or to the Tucson Police Department Foundation, 3900 E. Timrod, Suite 7, Tucson, AZ, 85711.