Sophia Ann Hope

Sophia Hope (nee Stefka Ana Matkowska) was born September 16, 1919 in Philadelphia, Pa. Her parents, Mary and Joseph Matkowski arrived in Philadelphia separately from what was then Austro-Hungary before WWI. Joseph was on the last German ship that sailed from Bremen to Philadelphia. Mary and Joseph eventually married and bought a house in 1835 which was just blocks from Independence Hall. Sophia grew up in that house being constantly aware that she was walking on the same cobblestone as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin among others. The whole family was proud to live in America. Sophia went to public school nearby. While her parents attended the Ukrainian Catholic Church, she preferred the Roman Catholic Church, St. Joseph's Jesuit Church, one of the oldest Catholic churches in the U.S. She worked for Baldwin Locomotive Works which converted its operations to become one of the builders of the Sherman tank during WWII as well as guns for ships. She started out on an assembly line, but was promoted to the office secretary. She was the first woman to work in the office at Baldwin's. In 1944, she married Drummond Leon Hope who was stationed in Philadelphia. They remained in Philadelphia where Leon worked for Household Finance and Sophia worked for the Reuben H. Donnelley Company which later merged with Dun and Bradstreet. Sophia gave birth to their first daughter, Lynda Ann Hope Swenk (Jim) in 1948. In 1949, Leon was transferred to Orlando. Later that year, they began building the College Park home which Sophia lived for the rest of her life. Their second daughter, Donna Marie Hope Hilyard (Sonny) was born in 1952. Sophia missed being a city girl, but found joy in working in her own yard which would flower with roses, hibiscus, camellias and azaleas. She took pride in her home which was always updated in the latest style. She, too, always remained stylish and taught her daughters to be aware of style as well as of the arts. Sophia helped her daughters with Girl Scouts, piano lessons and school work, instilling in them a sense of self-confidence and hard work. She was an excellent cook learning on her own to make such things as layer cakes, fried oysters, grits and other things outside her Ukrainian heritage. She expressed her artistic talents in copper enameling and painting and being taught by local artist Hal McIntosh. Sophia and Leon were charter members of St. Charles Borromeo Church. Sophia lost her father in 1965, her mother in 1984, her brother Robert Mason (nee Sidor Matkowski) in 1972 and her husband in 1982. Sophia has 2 grandsons, Erik (Morgan) Swenk and Matthew Swenk as well as 2 nephews and a niece, 3 great nieces and 2 great nephews. Visitation will be held from 5-7PM on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at Baldwin-Fairchild Lake Ivanhoe Chapel – 301 N.E. Ivanhoe BLVD., Orlando, FL. , with the funeral service at 10AM on Thursday January 26, 2012 at St Charles Borromeo Church; burial to follow at Woodlawn Cemetery.