Herschel Francis Dodd

Herschel Francis Dodd was born on December 10, 1928, in Harlan County, Kentucky, in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains, to General Freeman and Mima (Nelson) Dodd. He passed away on February 1, 2026, at the age of 97. Herschel fell in love with Mary Jo Feightner, and they married on June 29, 1947, at Courtland Avenue Friends Church in Kokomo and they were married for 64 years.

Herschel worked many jobs, sometimes more than one at a time. For many years, he worked in Department 10 as an Engineer’s Assistant at Delco Electronics. Herschel was always quite the handyman, and he even built their first family home himself in 1953. During this time of his life, he greatly enjoyed hunting and fishing. Even if a trip out to the woods or out on the boat was not successful, he cherished the time in nature. He was often truly moved by God’s natural creations. Throughout much of his life, he was a dedicated poet and diarist recording his daily tasks, the weather, how many fish he caught, and the costs of random purchases, especially those associated with household or car repairs, of which he had many - both cars and car repairs over the years.

Herschel retired from Delco in 1984 and moved to Florida with Mary Jo in 1985. During his retirement, he spent the years traveling and exploring his creative side. He loved traveling with family and friends alike and visited 49 of the 50 states. He loved Alaska, but he was especially fond of Bull Shoals State Park in Arkansas, where he caught many a brown and rainbow trout. His creative hobbies included learning to play the organ and dulcimer, creating beautiful works of art with stained glass, and learning to paint. He greatly enjoyed working outdoors on the lawn and dock, as well as taking care of the flowers, fruit trees, and vegetable gardens, not only at his own home but also those of many of his neighbors in Bayside Estates. In Florida, he also enjoyed participating in the Men’s Club at Bayside, walking on the beach, hunting for seashells, spending time out on his boat fishing, and later taking friends and family out on the pontoon. He named his Shamrock boat after his grandkids, Martha, Shawn, and Brandy: it was dubbed the "Marshandy". He loved taking care of others and did many handyman tasks through the years around Kokomo for family or in Bayside Estates for his neighbors, often for free. His kindness and generosity will be missed by all who knew him.

Herschel returned to Kokomo in 2014 to be near his son, granddaughters, and great-grandchildren. He continued to enjoy time outdoors, hunting, and especially loved to go hunting mushrooms with his grandkids. He also enjoyed watching his great-grandchildren play sports. He continued to love spending time outside of his home and had a beautiful gazebo in his yard where he kept bird feeders stocked and watched hummingbirds, tended to roses, and kept his yard tidy. Above all things, Herschel loved all his family, and he would always want us to remember, Dodd loves you!

Left to cherish his memory are his children, Marcia (Dennis) Snow & Kevin (Claudia) Dodd; grandchildren, Martha (Mark) Latta, Brandy (Mike) Rice, & Shawn (Chris) Snow; great-grandchildren, Madi & Michael Rice, Scout Latta, Michael & Brian Cobo; and great-great-grandchildren, Kaylea, Kallie & Kami Cobo.

Herschel was preceded in death by his parents, General & Mima; wife, Mary Jo Dodd; and all his siblings, Hobart, Edith, Deloris, Flora, Harley, and Claude Dodd.

Visitation for Herschel will be Monday, February 9, 2026, from 10:00 am until the time of the funeral service, 11:00 am at Ellers Mortuary and Cremation Center, 3400 S. Webster St., Kokomo, 46902. He will be laid to rest immediately following the funeral service at Sunset Memory Garden Cemetery, 2097 W. Alto Rd., Kokomo.