Robert Champney

Robert Louis Patrick Champney, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend and uncle, passed away May 17, 2025, at the age of 86. He is survived by his devoted wife, Barbara; his children, Kara, Kevin, and Kevin’s partner, Laura; and his cherished grandchildren, Christian, Luke and Mairead.

Robert is also lovingly remembered by his sister, Jeanne; his sister-in-law, Pat, and her husband, Terry; his niece, Kelley, and her husband, Greg; and nephews Chris, David, Nathaniel and Brian. Bob cherished his many friends and remained in regular contact with his childhood friend, Rob Roy. He is predeceased by his parents, Arlene Langley and Louis Champney, and his beloved Brittany spaniel, Seamus.

His humor, generosity and dedication to helping others left a lasting impact on everyone who knew him. A proud veteran, Robert served his country with honor in the United States Army as a cryptanalyst stationed at Torii Station, Okinawa. His life’s work was dedicated to teaching and learning, both in the classroom and on the playing field. He spent decades as a teacher, coach and school administrator, mentoring countless students and athletes. He coached football, hockey, baseball and track with enthusiasm and purpose. Robert also was deeply involved in his beloved town of Hopkinton, where he lived for 50 years, serving on the School Committee and chairing the town’s 275th anniversary celebration. He was a member of the Boston Athletic Association and the Hopkinton Marathon Committee, which he also chaired, and proudly fired the starting pistol for the fourth wave of the Boston Marathon in 2019. A loyal Boston College fan, he held season tickets to BC football games for more than 50 years and rarely missed a home game. In recognition of his support, he was honored at halftime during one of the games. Bob also loved to travel and meet new people. In retirement, he and Barbara traveled extensively around the world. Recently, he learned how to use an iPad so he could text his grandchildren and family. He was particularly fond of emojis, and his messages always brought a smile. He will be missed.

Visitation will be held at Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton on Wednesday, May 21, from 5:30-8 p.m., with a brief memorial service at 6, as family and friends will gather to honor his life and legacy. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to World Central Kitchen (wck.org).

Obituaries are submissions, typically from funeral homes, that are not subject to the same level of editorial oversight as the rest of the Hopkinton Independent. Obituaries may be edited for grammatical and factual mistakes and clarifications and shortened for space considerations.