John R. Hope

Watertown, Mass. — John R. Hope took his own life by suicide on Thursday, April 19, 2018. We ask that you, like John, open your heart and offer compassion without judgment to others struggling with life’s obstacles. John always introduced himself with his big smile and led with his compassionate heart, and we want him to be remembered for the joy and comfort he brought to the world.

John leaves behind his sweetheart Debbie Smith of Watertown; his mother, Starr Hope, of Moultonborough, N.H.; father Peter Hope and stepmother Caroline MacDougall of Grantham, N.H.; his siblings Annie Hope and Mark Csikszentmihalyi of San Francisco, Calif., Catherine and Roric Broderick of Baltimore, Md., Charity Hope and James Isaacs of Albuquerque, N.M., and Mary Starr Hope and Matthew Gaughan of San Anselmo, Calif. John was predeceased by his beloved brother Stephen Hope in 1991. John was a devoted uncle to Emily, Henry, Kinga, Chalew, Ava, Zofia, Wilder, and Josiane. John was also a loving, engaging, and supportive part of the lives of his many friends and will be dearly missed by all.

John was born in New York City in 1961 and grew up in Poitiers, France, New York City, and Sandwich, N.H. He attended Lycee Francaise de New York, Sandwich Central School, Phillips Exeter Academy, New Hampton School, and a PG year at the Loomis Chaffee School. He graduated with honors from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a B.S. in Business and a concentration in Applied Math. Realizing that he would be happier working directly with people, and encouraged by his grandfather Ted Hope (also an attorney), John left his job as a quantitative analyst at PaineWebber in New York and earned his Juris Doctor at Boston College Law School, graduating with Honors.

After serving as a judicial clerk to the Justices of the Superior Court of Massachusetts, he founded Hope Elder Law in 2003, an estate planning and special needs planning law firm in Watertown. John was the quintessential “Main Street” lawyer: an ethical and service-minded member of the Massachusetts Bar, an active member of the National Association of Elder Law Attorneys, and a vital part of the Watertown community, where he resided since 1995. John was an LGBTQ ally, served clients of various ages and backgrounds, and made his personal commitment to diversity and inclusion a part of his law practice. John delivered legal services in a friendly, knowledgeable, and supportive manner, offering practical legal solutions to his clients and their families in an accessible, effective, and understandable way.

John loved the outdoors and took amazing photos of the places he visited and the people he loved. On April 21, 2018, Debbie, together with many of her and John’s friends, John’s family, colleagues, clients, and neighbors celebrated his beautiful life in Watertown. A second celebration of John’s life is planned for July 2018 in Sandwich.

Those wishing to make donations in John’s name or volunteer in John’s honor can contribute to the Sierra Club, the Trevor Project, Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, the Steve Hope Memorial Fund at CalPirg, or any organization that promotes the well being of people or the environment. We hope to erase the stigma of suicide and are committed to suicide prevention, and we ask that you join us.

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