Anne Richardson Hodnett

Anne Dillard Richardson Hodnett passed away on March 4th, 2023, at her home with a view of the beautiful St. Simon’s Island beach, surrounded by loved ones. She was a force of nature throughout her life: strong, loving, and always playing by her own rule book. A vibrant and timeless Southern woman, people often asked Anne how she looked so young. She would answer, “youth is a state of mind,” which she demonstrated by cruising around the island in her signature yellow mustang convertible into her 90s.

Anne was born on December 19, 1924, in Henry Co, VA, to the late John Cabell Richardson and America Delaware “Della” Eggleston Richardson. She was the youngest of 8 dynamic Richardson children. Growing up during the Great Depression, Anne knew how to pinch pennies and feed a crowd. At the age of 12, she would make fresh coconut cakes and sell them for her spending money.

This resourcefulness came in handy when she married the love of her life, Roy K. Hodnett, and started a family. A few months after they wed, Roy was deployed to England, and 19-year-old Anne set up house on a war bride’s shoestring budget. Their son, Mike, was born the day Roy landed on US soil after serving in World War II, and they relocated to Martinsville, VA, where their daughter, Pat, and son, Kelly, were born.

Anne, affectionately known as “Aunt Anne” or “Mimi,” always loved babies. When her own children were old enough to attend school, she took in multiple foster babies and loved them as her own. Many of her nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews knew they could always find a soft place to land in “Mimi’s” embrace.

In 1968, Anne, Roy, Pat, and Kelly moved to Saint Simon's Island. She embarked on an active volunteer life that allowed her to use her gift for cooking, organizing, and generally creating order to cultivate a thriving community. Some places she volunteered over the years were St Simons United Methodist Church, The Gathering Place, Manna House, MAP International, Amity House, and the Island Players, where she was a “Life Member.”

Anne loved her family wholeheartedly, but her great passion was the stage. In her life, she acted in more than thirty plays and produced nearly fifty productions in the area. She delighted in running her own dinner theater for several years, entertaining tour groups with light comedies and low-country boils on their visits to the island.

In 1976 she started her company, Security Drama, providing talent for role-playing exercises and training films at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. She even worked on a couple of Hollywood films. She was not only a talent and location coordinator for the movie Conrack (1974); she also made a cameo appearance as the secretary in that film.

Anne loved a good party and frequently entertained friends and family. Her southern cooking was unparalleled, and a visit to her home was incomplete if you didn’t hear her humming show tunes in the kitchen as she whipped up a batch of cream puffs or magically procured enough crabmeat Louisianne to feed a small army. She took good care of everyone and will forever be in our hearts.

Anne was preceded in death by her precious son, Brian Kelly Hodnett; her parents; her siblings, Virginia Richardson Shreves, Clara Richardson Dyer, Louise Richardson Vaughan, Curtis J. Richardson, James Carroll Richardson, Col. William Hughes Richardson, and Colleen Richardson, and her husband of 75 years, Roy K. Hodnett.

She is survived by her son, Michael Hodnett (Leslie) of Gastonia, N.C.; her daughter, Pat Hodnett Cooper of St. Simons Island, Ga.; her grandchildren, Bree Luck (Geoff), Kelly Ross (Robbie), Fletcher Hodnett (Megan), Grayson Hodnett (Jordan), Luke Pigge, Gentry Hodnett, Kieran Hodnett, and Aynslee Hodnett; her step-granddaughter, Dana Kimple; and her great-grandchildren, Camden Luck, Anna Brynn Luck, Hugo Hodnett, Felix Hodnett, Colton Roy Bennett, Ray Ross, Ginna Ross, and Cooper Kimple. She is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, and their families.

The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the nurses and staff at Hospice of the Golden Isles.

There will be a private interment ceremony at Oglethorpe Memorial Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest next to Roy, and their precious son, Kelly.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am on March 7th in the sanctuary at St. Simons United Methodist Church with the Rev. Marcia Cochran and the Rev. Tom Jones officiating. A celebration of her life will follow in the Thorpe Building.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you for contributions in Anne's memory to be made to Hospice of the Golden Isles, 1692 Glynn Parkway, Brunswick, GA 31525.

Arrangements are entrusted into the care of Edo Miller and Sons Funeral Home.