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JOHN H. HODGE

 John Hodge, of Charlotte, passed peacefully into eternal life early Monday morning, July 29, 2013, at Asbury Care Center, after a brief period of declining health. He was 88 years old. Born September 3, 1924 in Whitmire, SC, he was a son of the late John H. Hodge, Sr. and Blanche Leggett Hodge.

A funeral service to celebrate his life will be held 11 AM Friday, August 2, 2013, at Hickory Grove Baptist Church, with the Rev. Clint Pressley, the Rev. John Harrill, and the Rev. Arnold Kessler officiating. Interment will follow in Sunset Memory Gardens. The family will receive friends from 5 PM until 8 PM Thursday, August 1, 2013, in the church worship center.

A member of what has been coined The Greatest Generation, John was a U.S Army, combat veteran, having served in the European Theatre during World War II with “G” Company, 3rd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. He received the Bronze Star, Two Purple Hearts and the Prisoner of War Medals.

After being honorably discharged from the service in 1945, and to complete his high school education, John attended Presbyterian Junior College in Maxton, NC. He later attended N.C. State College in Raleigh. Following college, John worked with the Raleigh Police Department as an Officer. In 1956, he started work with Brink’s Inc., where he worked for a number of years before moving to Charlotte in 1968 to become Transportation Officer with a major bank. John retired as a self-employed, wholesale food distributor.

John was a former member of Carolina Pines Baptist Church in Raleigh. He was a longtime member of Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte, where he served as deacon, member of the Phil Johnson Sunday School Class and was involved in the music ministry for a number of years.
 

John was an avid sportsman who enjoyed all sports, especially baseball. He even played “semi-pro” ball in his younger years.

John will be remembered for his strong and unwavering faith in his Lord, Jesus Christ, and as a loving husband, father, brother, and grandpa, who found joy and satisfaction in caring for and spending time with his family.

In addition to his parents, John was preceded in death by his loving and devoted wife of 63 years, Mary Gibson Hodge, two brothers, Evann Tucker, who died as an infant, and William K. Hodge.

He is survived by his five children, William Clay Hodge and wife, Kathy, of New Bern, Sheila H. Williams and husband, Skip, of Mint Hill, John G. Hodge and wife, Nina, of Charlotte, Stephen D. Hodge and wife, Patti, of Mint Hill, and Benjamin "Tom" Hodge and wife, Leslie, of Monroe; eleven grandchildren, Bryan Hodge, Christy Curley and husband, Chris, Nick Williams, Crystal Williams, Amber Williams, J.Q. Hodge and wife, Marian, Kaitlin Neal and husband, Adam, Evan Hodge and fiancée, Angel, Brandon Hodge and wife, Brandy, Brittany Allen and husband, Cody, and Christian Hodge; and his special great-granddaughter, Caroline Curley. John is also survived by his two sisters, Peggy Smith and husband, Lawrence, of Laurinburg, and Tecora Steen and husband, Lynn, of Lindale, TX; and a number of nieces, nephews and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hickory Grove Baptist Church, Hearts and Hammers Ministry, 6050 Hickory Grove Road, Charlotte, NC 28215.

Arrangements under the direction of McEwen Funeral Service - Mint Hill Chapel, Mint Hill, NC.


(courtesy of Doralyn D. Talton)

Grave marker of John H. Hodge in the Sunset Memory Gardens, Charlotte (Mecklenburg county), North Carolina.

John enlisted in the Army at Ft Bragg, NC on 9 June 1943. 

Pvt Hodge was transferred from Field Force Replacement Depot #8 to Service Company 508th PIR on 31 March 1944.  He was then transferred to Company G on 24 July 1944,

Pvt Hodge was listed as Seriously Wounded in Action 18 September 1944 and returned to duty on 6 November 1944.

He was wounded a second time on 27 December 1944, an event which he described as "When the bullet struck me, to the left of my nose, it came down knocking out 3 of my upper teeth, before going through my lower lip and opening a wide gash to the bottom of my chin."

Pvt Hodge returned to duty once again on 9 March 1945.

His military decorations include the Purple Heart with one Oak Leaf Cluster and the Bronze Service Arrowhead device for the Holland campaign and Airborne operations as well as the Good Conduct Medal.