Kristin Hoppe,nee Kaestner

January 18, 1936 - September 8, 2020

Kristin lived a life of creativity, color and compassion. She was born in Ohio, raised in Dearborn, Michigan and married to Wolfgang for 63 years until her peaceful passing at home on Sept. 8, 2020. She graduated from Michigan State University in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in home economics and early childhood education and taught while Wolfgang completed his law degree. They have two children, Kirk and Dominique, and an Italian exchange student long considered a second daughter, Francesca, daughter-in-law Tracey, son-in-law David, grandchildren Torin (and spouse Taylor) and Octavia and great grandchildren, Cayden and Jack. Kris’ true passion was art, working primarily in textiles, paper and glass collage. She earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Eastern Michigan University in 1976 as well as a Master in Public Health from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor in 1985. Kris was best known in Ashland for her artwork which was characterized by bold, vivid, contrastive color combinations and intricate abstract patterns. Kris loved her time as a docent for the Schneider Museum of Art where she met women who became her closest friends and was a member of the artist-collective AMBUS for many years. Kris and Wolfgang were world travelers. They made friends everywhere they went and Kris incorporated fabrics and designs into her artwork from around the globe. She was especially impacted by her nearly 4 years living in the Ivory Coast. They retired in Ashland in 1999 after 4 months on a US Foreign Service assignment in Bolivia. She and Wolfgang had a long, loving, mutually supportive and enriching relationship. She was an inspiration to many and will be dearly missed. There are no memorial services planned at this time. She would want you to vote and, if so inclined, make a donation in her name to whatever cause you care about the most.