About Us

Ted Lawver is the third generation of the Hopkins Lawver family and has been affiliated with the funeral home since 1970. Raised in Mogadore, he graduated from Mogadore High School in 1976, attended the University of Akron, and graduated from the Indiana School of Mortuary Science. He became a Licensed Funeral Director in 1980. Ted is a lifetime resident of the Akron area, and has been married to Mickey Lawver for 35 years. They are parents of five children and grandparents of 15 (soon to be 17). Ted enjoys boating, golfing and traveling in his spare time. He is proud to continue the legacy of his parents and grandparents, and enjoys working with his daughter, Sarah and son-in-law, Roger in the family business. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience, and is a calming, reassuring presence to families in their time of need.

Sarah started working part-time at Hopkins Lawver Funeral Home during high school in 1999. The oldest of five children born to Ted and Michelle Lawver, she has lived most of her life in the Uniontown and Akron areas. Sarah attended Lake Center Christian School in Hartville through 8th grade, and graduated from Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy in 2001. She spent two years at Malone College in Canton, graduated with a bachelors degree in Business Administration in 2005, and became a Licensed Funeral Director in 2008. Married to her husband, Roger Dishong, the couple have four children, Brooklyn (8), Anderson, (6), Avery (5) and Evelyn (2). Sarah enjoys spending time with family and friends, attending her children's activities, swimming, boating and vacationing. To sum up her feelings about funeral service, Sarah says, "Throughout my life, I have had incredible respect for the work my family does and their service to the communities we are in. I knew from a very early age this is what I wanted to do. I feel incredibly privileged to work with my dad and my husband carrying on the legacy my great grandparents started when they founded Hopkins Lawver Funeral Home in 1931." Indeed, Sarah's dedication and empathy shine through in every encounter she has with the families served by Hopkins Lawver.

Roger joined the Hopkins Lawver team full time in 2011. He was born in Ravenna, Ohio and grew up along with his sister in the Hartville and Marlboro Township area. He graduated in 2001 from Marlington High School, then went on to receive a B.S. in Marketing and Finance from the University of Akron in 2005 and an M.B.A. from Malone University in 2009. Roger became a Licensed Funeral Director in 2015. Married to Sarah Lawver, they are the parents of four children. Roger enjoys family time, sporting events including college football and the Cavs, golfing, swimming, boating and vacationing. He is honored to be working with his wife carrying on her family's tradition of Funeral Service, and looks forward to helping the communities we serve.

Mary Eckard joined the staff of Hopkins Lawver Funeral Home in 2002 as a Licensed Funeral Director following the death of her husband, David Eckard. Mary offers compassionate assistance during the difficult task of arranging a loved one's funeral. She graduated from Kenmore High School and Akron General Medical Center School of Nursing, and attended the University of Akron. Mary currently resides in Uniontown and is an active member of The Chapel in Green where she enjoys singing in the Chapel choir and attending Bible Study. She is also a member of the Stark County Funeral Directors Association. Mary assists her son, Christopher in his videography/photography business, and likes vacationing at Disney World and Myrtle Beach with her two grandchildren. She enjoys staying active by swimming, knitting, crocheting, gardening and working in her yard, and also judges cars at "Pop's Cruise-Ins".

Kathy Roby started working at Hopkins Lawver in 1986, and became a Licensed Funeral Director in 1990. She enjoys helping families in their time of need to arrange meaningful funeral services. Kathy's early years were spent in Springfield Township, later moving to Suffield where she graduated from Field High School. She attended the University of Akron while obtaining her funeral director's license. Kathy and her husband, Mark Pollock reside in Suffield and enjoy caring for animals on their small hobby farm. She has three children and five grandchildren. She enjoys gardening, spending time with her grandchildren, sewing and crocheting. Kathy is a member of Suffield United Church of Christ and the Mogadore VFW Ladies Auxiliary.

Robin Williams joined the Hopkins Lawver Funeral Home team in 2014. She assists the accounting department and also helps to coordinate funeral services. Robin is a graduate of Ellet High School and has lived in Uniontown for the last 30 years. She is a member of Holy Spirit Catholic Church. Robin holds a Property and Casualty Insurance License, having previously sold insurance for 16 years. She and her husband of 36 years, Steve have two children and two grandchildren. Robin is an avid sports fan and especially loves the Cavs! In her spare time, she enjoys playing with her grandchildren and taking them to the park. Robin and her husband also like to spend time in Florida during the winter.

John Fuller began working at Hopkins Lawver in 2008 after retiring from a career in teaching and coaching. He also served as the Athletic Director at Lake Center Christian School. John grew up in Mogadore and graduated from Mogadore High School and Muskingum College. He currently resides in Norton with his wife, Mary Ann and they have two children and five grandchildren. John is a member of The Chapel and enjoys fishing and spending time with his grandchildren. He is a valued member of our staff and serves in many capacities including the maintenance of our facilities and grounds as well as assisting during funerals.