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Published on Tuesday, March 18, 2003
in the Palatka Daily News
Longtime Florida Highway Patrol officer and former Troop G commander Thomas G. "Tommie" Hodges died Friday. Hodges retired in 1983 after 30 years with the FHP. He then went into the private sector, serving as executive director of the Putnam County Board of Realtors until 1990.
He's also leaving a legacy to Putnam County in memory of his late wife, Peggy Hodges.
"For our parents' 25th wedding anniversary, Daddy was trying to find a special present for Mama. She loved art so he gave her painting lessons with Dale Newman at Palatka High School," said daughter Teri Crews.
"Mama would paint anything that would stand still," she recalled. The couple had three daughters.
When Peggy Hodges died, a scholarship fund was set up in her memory at PHS by the family.
Crews said her father left specific instructions that money be put aside after his death so that the scholarship fund would generate enough income to continue the scholarships forever.
"That was his dream," she said.
A Palatka native, Hodges was a U.S. Navy veteran of Korea. When he got out of the service, he attended the University of Florida before joining the FHP.
During his career, he served at posts around the state, ending up in Palatka twice. He was here first in 1967, later returning in 1971.
From 1975 to his retirement in 1983, he was captain of Troop G. Before taking over as captain, he was FHP chief investigator for the state in Tallahassee. Following his retirement, he was moved up a rank to major as is the custom with the FHP.
A Federal Bureau of Investigations Academy graduate, he earned an association of arts degree at St. Johns River Community College and a bachelor of science degree from Florida State University.
"Tom Hodges was just a quality person," said Ben Bates, a local businessman and Realtor. "He really helped us at a time when we were trying to get organized and helped our board get in the position to become part of the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors. That allowed us to offer a lot more services to our customers."
Funeral services are 11 a.m. today at Christ Independent Methodist Church.
A complete obituary appears in the obituary section.