Ericka Dawn Hopkins - Kearney

Ericka Dawn Hopkins- Kearney was born July 5, 2002, to Mary Kearney and Charles Kearney in Kansas City Kansas at Providence Medical Center.

Ericka was educated in the Leavenworth School District in Leavenworth Kansas. Her aspiration was to become a Dental Hygienist. She was currently employed in the Service Industry and enjoyed serving people. She also enjoyed giving back to her community by donating blood.

Ericka's smile was contagious. She loved bringing joy to her family and friends. She was very social and had lots of friends. She was a hard worker, hardheaded, wore her heart on her sleeve, very passionate about her family, and was a great cook. She knew how to make an entrance into a room, and you could always hear her coming. She had a love for music and would always start off her day with a song her mother originally found obnoxious, but now misses. She was very proud of her family and was always making sure they were taken care of. She was also very proud of her vast shoe collection. She was very persistent, adventurous, and radiated confidence.

Ericka was taken from us unexpectedly as a result of gun violence on July 15, 2022. She was preceded in death by her maternal grandmother, Frances Mullikin; paternal grand-mother, Pamela Wilson; aunt, Christina Shamp, and uncle, John Hinrichs.

She leaves behind her mother, Mary Kearney; father, Charles Kearney; birth father, Tyshone Davis; siblings, Chelsea Bell, Patrick Hopkins, Nevada Hopkins, Tiffany Davis, Kay Lynn Davis, Orr Lee Orr III,  Lleyah Simmons, and Ramaya Phillips; two aunts, Rachel Shamp, and Dana Tinpenny; three uncle, Andy Riley, Richard Shamp and Ronald Groves; paternal grandfather, David Kearney, and many more family members and friends.

 When Ericka was little, she would always tell her Mama that she loved butterflies. One day her mother asked Ericka why she loved butterflies. Ericka said “Momma, butterflies don't live very long, but in the short time they are here they are beautiful, and they always make people smile. They just make you feel at peace when you watch them fly.” Ericka will always be her mom's butterfly. She didn't get to live very long, but she did put smiles on a lot of people's faces and impacted a lot of lives.