Wesley J. “Bill” Hodge, Jr., age 80, was born in Monroe on February 13, 1942 and passed away in Monroe on July 23, 2022.
A Memorial Gathering will be held on Thursday, August 18, 2022 from 5 P.M. until 7 P.M. at Kilpatrick Funeral Home, 1200 Lamy Lane, Monroe, LA. Bill is preceded in death by his parents, Wesley J. and Dorothy A. Hodge; grandparents, Dr. Wesley J. Hodge, Ezell Johnson Hodge, William Fenmore Thurmon and Beatrice Gaines Thurmon; his daughter-in-law, Sarah Reeves Hodge.
Bill is survived by his wife, Lynn Keller Hodge; 3 children, Gaines A. Hodge, his daughter, AnnaBelle Hodge; Connor M. Hodge, wife Holly N. Hodge, their children, Cooper Hodge, Madelynn Hodge, Caden Smalling and Christian Smalling; and Lark H. Girod, husband Damon Girod and their children, Keller Girod and Thomas Girod.
Bill attended Georgia Tucker Elementary School, Neville High School and Northeast Louisiana University. His grandfather, W.F. Thurman, started the Ouachita Legal News in 1929. His first job after college was to publish the Legal News. The Legal News filings allowed him to spend many hours at the Clerk of Court’s Office. It was a smooth transition; therefore, when Bill was hired by Clerk of Court, B.S. McRaney, as a Deputy Clerk. Thus, Bill began what was to become his life’s work in 1968. Between 1971 and 1976, Bill was Chief Court Reporter for the Clerk’s Office. In 1976, he was promoted to Chief Deputy, a position he retained until the retirement of Clerk of Court, Bill Downey in 1987. He was then elected to his first term as Clerk of Court and held this position without further opposition at election time until his retirement in 2011.
Bill’s accomplishments were many, including cross-training of deputies, converting microfilm into digital format, which facilitated easier and quicker access for the public. Bill particularly enjoyed supervising elections as this gave him the opportunity to meet and know the candidates as well as the multitude of poll workers. He also belonged to the Louisiana Clerks of Court Association, the Lotus Club, and was Past President and Board Member of Ouachita Valley Federal Credit Union.
In 1967, Bill married his best friend and long time love, Lynn Keller. From this union, they were blessed with 3 children; Gaines, Connor and Lark. Bill and Lynn always had a passion for entertaining; therefore, they spent countless hours in the kitchen together preparing delicious cuisine for their family and friends. Sunday dinners and holiday gatherings gave Bill so much pleasure cooking and grilling for all. His other hobbies included working in the yard, traveling, reading and serving the community.
You may honor Bill’s memory by donating to Swartz Upper Elementary Library, 400 Lincoln Hills Drive, Monroe, LA 71203. Bill loved reading and felt children should experience the joy as well. His daughter, Lark Girod, is currently Librarian at Swartz Upper Elementary.
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