Longtime City Critic Leaves Legacy Cda Watchdog Peggy Hopkins Dies After Fight With Cancer

Peggy Hopkins would have been hard-pressed to choose which she enjoyed more - cigarettes, coffee or city government.

What most people enjoyed about her, however, was the satire.

The Coeur d’Alene watchdog who hacked away at Kootenai Medical Center’s no-smoking policy with the same vigor she used to check up on city officials, died Tuesday following a long fight with cancer. She was 67.

Despite years of battles with city leaders, an unsuccessful 1989 bid for City Council, a sharp tongue and a quick wit, the Illinois native was never a curmudgeon. She sometimes brought roses with her to Henry’s restaurant, where she could be found nightly drinking coffee.

“She held city leaders and people in general in high respect,” son David Hopkins said. “She held no malice toward anyone.”

Recognized by her always-present cigarettes and her large, old station wagon, Hopkins was a fixture on Coeur d’Alene’s political scene.

“She was really an idealist,” her son said. “If she saw something she didn’t like, she wasn’t afraid to express herself.”

She spoke up at almost every occasion on almost any subject.

“You couldn’t win an argument with her,” said friend Sharon VanHorn, at Henry’s restaurant on Sherman Avenue. “She’d just take off on another subject.”

She complained about garbage rates and water rates, budget issues and beach access. She criticized the slim-bikini wearer known as Thong Man. She wanted to shrink the city’s police department.

Most of Hopkins’ discourse was reserved for the Coeur d’Alene City Council.

“Whenever she walked in the room I felt like she was my third grade teacher about to tell me I’d done something wrong,” said Councilwoman Nancy Sue Wallace.

Yet Hopkins’ ironic touch was often relished.

“Sometimes we take ourselves too seriously and Peggy always brought us back down to earth,” she said.

Son David said that with his mother “it was all satire.” Her goal was simply “to spark some interest in the process.”

Best remembered examples of her spunk include:

In 1988, she gave City Council members 1,196 names on a petition opposed to a police crackdown on speeders. Fewer than 60 were valid signatures. Names included Ronald Reagan, former presidential daughter Amy Carter and mass murderers Jim Jones and Charles Manson.

Hopkins said she just wanted to show objection was widespread.

In 1992, The Coeur d’Alene Resort threatened to tow cars violating time limits in a public parking lot, so Hopkins deliberately parked overtime to challenge the ticket.

During a 1993 parade, Hopkins poked fun at then-Mayor Ray Stone by dressing as the Energizer Bunny with a sign reading “Me Mayor” on the front and “I Hop Potholes” on the back. A plastic beer bottle completed the ensemble.

Hopkins is survived by David, brothers Roy and Mark Buckrop and numerous nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be May 13 at the Church of Christ in Dalton Gardens.