John David Hodge, Jr.
John David Hodge, Jr. was born October 2, 1935 in Mercy Hospital, San Diego, California to Mary Ann (nee Mason) Hodge and John David Hodge, who was then in the United States Navy Fleet in the Pacific. He is predeceased by Mary Ann (10/24/2003) and John (07/04/1999).
John is survived by his wife, Melina; three children: Karla Kay of Georgetown, TX, Teresa Anne Thornton of Arlington, TX, and Mark David Hodge (Kathleen) of Phoenix, AZ; eight grandchildren: Carl Gayhart, Amy Gayhart, Jessica (Jestin) Hashop, Amanda Thornton, Christopher (Lisa) Hodge, Joanna Hodge, Adam Hodge, and Aaron Hodge; two great grandchildren: Jestin Hashop, Jr. and Benjamin Hashop; sister Anne Marie Fisher of Fletcher, NC and brother Arnold (Pete) Hodge (Dorian) of Texarkana, AR; three nieces: Susanne Fisher, Cynthia (Bill) Lee, Jennifer Hodge; and two deceased nephews: Lynn Beasley and Shaun (Stacy) Hodge.
John graduated Texarkana Senior High School in June of 1953. He was a part of the Co-op program at New Mexico College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts (NMA & MA) in Las Cruces, New Mexico 1954-1957 (now NMSU). He earned a Bachelor's of Mathematics from Southern Methodist University February of 1991. The period at NMA & MA resulted in indoctrination in digital computing and early rocket technology.
On December 26, 1956, in St. Genevieve's Catholic Church in Las Cruces, John wed the prettiest green-eyed Bachelors graduate on campus, Melina Gutierrez, not realizing the union would eventually travel the world after raising their children. The couple is very proud and honored by the hard work and dedication which has so far resulted in college degrees for the couples' three children and all of their adult grandchildren.
In June 1957 John and Melina moved to Dallas, Texas where he first worked for Remington Rand Univac and then the Magnolia Petroleum Company Field Research Laboratory (FRL) then situated on Duncanville Road. This experience started him on a path to becoming a research geophysicist, specializing in using digital data to search for petroleum reserves. When all three children were in college, they traveled to Saudi Arabia on loan to ARAMCO from Mobil Oil Corporation for technical support. The six-year exciting adventure enabled the family to move forward to retirement from Mobil in 1992. John consulted in the information technology field until retirement in 2010.
The funeral Mass and inurnment will be at Prince of Peace Catholic Community, 5100 Plano Parkway West Plano, Texas 75093, on Saturday, January 13, 2018, at 11 am. Refreshments to follow at the St. James Hall on the premises.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in John's memory to:
Catholic Charities Dallas, 1421 W. Mockingbird Lane Dallas, Texas 75247, Phone: 866.223.7500
Sisters of St. Benedict at Our Lady of Guadalupe Monastery, Phoenix, Arizona, 501C3 Status Tax ID 86-0858480 8502, W. Pinchot Ave Phoenix, AZ 85037, 623-848-9608.