Remembering Robert Eberle

November 22, 1949–December 25, 2025

Robert Eberle, a longtime Hopkins educator, musician, and cherished member of the School community, passed away on Christmas Day 2025. When his wife and creative partner, Hope Hartup, joined the Hopkins Drama Department as an instructor in 1988, Eberle became a familiar face on the Hill, wearing many hats through the years.

With a master’s degree in music from Yale University and a doctorate in education from Southern Connecticut State University, Eberle had a long career as a music teacher at the Neighborhood Music School. He also served as a public school administrator, working as assistant principal at both Housatonic Valley Regional High School and Cheshire High School before becoming principal of Wolcott High School. As a public school administrator, Eberle was known for his steady leadership, collaborative spirit, and belief in the potential of young people. After retiring from public education, his passion for teaching continued at Hopkins. He was a regular substitute for the English Department, assisted in the Calarco Library, taught geometry in the Pathfinder program, played percussion in the pit band, and was, as Hartup put it, her “secret weapon” behind the scenes for decades of Hopkins Drama Association productions.

In his personal life, Eberle was a devoted family man who loved and cherished his children, alums Romy ’05, Dylan ’06, and Annika ’16. “He was a modest hero by nature; steadfast in his belief that helping others succeed was purpose enough,” as stated in his obituary. “He lived his life as if it were an orchestra: everyone had a part to play, and the goal was always to serve something larger than yourself. His greatest joy came from empowering others—helping them find their rhythm, push farther, and believe in what they could become. Rob was many things: husband, dad, grand-father, teacher, thinker, advocate, artist, cheerleader. He cared deeply about what mattered and very little about what didn’t. His legacy lives on in the countless students he taught, the colleagues he supported, the music he shared, and the family he loved so fiercely.”

Eberle’s impact was evident at a memorial service held at Hopkins on Saturday, February 7, 2026. Colleagues and students from past and present gathered with his family and friends to honor his life and legacy. The program included reflections from each of his children and his brother, Lee Eberle, who spoke of his early passion for music. Throughout the program, Hopkins music department faculty Erika Schroth and Erik Elligers performed Marvelous Toy by Tom Paxton, and Leaving on a Jet Plane by John Denver, two of Eberle’s favorites that held deep personal meaning to his family.