Marion Cole Buchanan Hopper, age 81 of Charlotte died Monday, August 11, 2025.  She was born on October 13, 1943, in Rutherford County and was a daughter of the late Bryson Henry Cole and Eula Howard Cole. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Joe Earle Buchanan. 

Marion was a graduate of Chase High School and a lifelong member of Bethany Baptist Church.  She worked for many years at Rutherford Hospital and later for Rutherford Mental Health where she retired.   

She was an avid reader and a green-thumbed gardener who found joy in simple pleasures—shopping with her girls, spending time with family, and sharing laughter around the kitchen table. Cooking and collecting recipes were among her greatest joys, especially when passing down cherished family traditions to her grandchildren.

From a young age, she had a heart for others—visiting the elderly to offer comfort and volunteering in her community, often giving rides to orphaned children in need.

After retirement, she embraced her love of travel, always eager to explore new places and create lasting memories. At home, she had a deep affection for animals of all kinds and took delight in caring for them.

She never met a stranger and had a gift for striking up conversations with anyone, making people feel seen and welcomed wherever she went.

A devoted fan of The Price Is Right, she never missed an episode—watching, it was one of her favorite daily rituals.

She will be remembered most for her unwavering kindness, her generous spirit, and the way she lived her love through action. Her legacy lives on in the lives she touched and the traditions she passed down.

Survivors include her husband, Lannie Edward Hopper, her son, Joseph Paul Buchanan and wife Ida of Forest City, her daughters, Joan Buchanan Dodson and husband Rodney, and Julie Buchanan Hamrick and husband Shane all of Concord, North Carolina, her son Donald Allen Hopper and wife Tammy of Garrison, NY, and daughter Brandie Hopper Redd and husband Matt of West Port, CT. There are also 18 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

The funeral service will be held at 3 o’clock on Saturday, August 16, 2025, at Bethany Baptist Church with Pastor Lane Goff officiating.  Interment will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends in the Sanctuary from 2 until 3 o’clock prior to the service.
Memorials may be made to Bethany Baptist Church, 760 Bethany Church Road, Forest City, NC 28043 or the ASPCA.
The Padgett and King Mortuary & Crematory is in charge of arrangements and an online guest registry is available at www.padgettking.com