On September 15, 2016, Jerry Ronald Hodge went to be with his Lord. He is the beloved husband of Phyllis Anne Hodge, loving father of David Ronald Hodge and his wife Marsha, Rosanne Elizabeth Hodge and her husband George Manaras, Lisa Anne Wolff and her husband Douglas, Philip Anthony Hodge and his wife Carla, and Stephen Lawrence Hodge and his wife Vickie, cherished grandfather of Joseph Hodge, David DeMay, Alexandra Manaras, Christine Wolff, Benjamin Wolff, Anthony Hodge, Catherine Hodge, and Jamie Dorsey, devoted great-grandfather of Meredith DeMay, Aubrey DeMay, Erica DeMay and Brianna Harris. He was predeceased by his parents Lela Kirk and Robert Hodge and his step-father Manferd Kirk, as well as his siblings Kenneth Hodge and Carolyn Sue Hodge.

Mr. Hodge served his country for more than 65 years.At age 14 ½, he joined the Navy and served until the end of the Korean War as a Radar Operator. He continued his public service at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).After retirement from Federal service, Jerry continued to support our nation's veterans as the Vice President of the Charlestown Chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW).

Jerry's lifelong contributions to the nation's Manned Space Program and Space Sciences Program Directorate at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center demonstrated his commitment to science and engineering.As a graduate of the University of Maryland - James A. Clark School of Engineering, Jerry mastered the studies of Industrial/Mechanical Engineering and graduated with Honors along with the award of "Outstanding Male Graduate" at the University.His contributions to the Saturn rocket instrumentation development efforts, 17 Apollo manned-spaced missions, SkyLab, International Space Station (ISS), Voyager and Hubble Space Telescope Programs, coupled with his overall technical and managerial support of scientific endeavors at NASA Goddard and NASA Headquarters, fulfilled his lifelong dreams, and dream big he did!

Being a compassionate and caring man, it was not surprising that he loved poetic and melodic music.He starred in community theater productions of South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof, Kiss Me Kate and Oklahoma to name just a few.For more than 55 years, he sang as the Lead in four Barbershop Quartets, and several barbershop chorus groups — always performing in front of enthusiastic audiences.His love of choir music found him at every Sunday mass singing to the Lord and his fellow parishioners. His children will remember him singing them to sleep and waking them with a song!

Mr. Hodge rests peacefully at the Hubbard Funeral Home at 4107 Wilkens Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21229. The family will receive guests on Sunday, September 25, 2016 from 2-4 and 6-8 PM at the funeral home.

A Memorial Mass will be held on Monday, September 26, 2016 at 12:30 PM in the Our Lady of the Angels Chapel, Charlestown Retirement Community, 711 Maiden Choice Lane, Catonsville, Maryland 21228. Interment with full military Naval Honors will follow at the Baltimore National Cemetery, 5501 Frederick Road, Catonsville, Maryland 21228. The family invites Jerry's friends to join in his journey to his final place of rest, and be with them afterwards for a Celebration of Life reception.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Jerry's name to:

Saint Luke's the Evangelist Mission
P.O. Box 321
Mercersburg, PA 17236

Please specify in the correspondence or on the check notation line that the donation is: TO IMPROVE THE SOUND SYSTEM.

For more about St Luke's: https://www.hbgdiocese.org/parish/st-luke-the-evangelist-mission-mercersburg/