Ernest Francis Hodson

Ernie was a poet, woodworker, inventor, Scrabble genius and all-around tinkerer who led his life with integrity and grace. In his final weeks and days, Dad spent his time drawing, painting the seashells his grandchildren brought to him, and singing with the staff and residents at Jewish Senior Services. In the days before passing, Dad slept deeply - free of pain and a to-do list. Holding the hand of his daughter, Carol, he exhaled gently, left this world, and joined his beloved wife of 66 years - Marge Hodson, who has been patiently waiting for him “to come up from the workshop” since Feb 2020.

Ernie was the fourth of five children born of Agnes Geoghegan Hodson of Irish descent, a bookkeeper, in Detroit, Michigan and Francis Gardner Hodson, an English immigrant and carpenter by trade. He graduated with honors from Stratford High School in 1947 and shortly thereafter was employed as a carpenter, having been introduced to the trade by his father. Ernie met Marge at a block party in 1949, but the romance was interrupted by the military draft. After basic training, he served in the Army with the occupational forces in Germany until 1953. Two months after returning home he married Marge, and together they raised 7 children, who went on to give life to 18 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren to carry the legacy forward. To them, Ernie was Grandpa, or Pop-Pop, but no matter the name, he was always a source of wisdom, love and good humor. Gently teasing grandchildren was one of his love languages.

Ernie was a quiet Catholic with a deep, lived faith, who preferred actions over spoken words. He volunteered with Marge on numerous Emmaus weekends to help teenagers discover and deepen their faith. He and Marge also worked with couples through Marriage Encounter, a retreat designed to help strengthen the sacramental bonds of marriage. In time, Ernie became known for distributing his hand-made wooden cross necklaces, hundreds of which have touched the hearts of those he encountered. Later in life, he expanded his inclusive ministry to include wooden Stars of David for his Jewish friends.

Ernie’s workshop was legendary. Words fail to adequately describe the power equipment, contraptions, jigs, prototypes, buckets, bins, paints, stains, brushes and layers of love and dust that was his home within the home. After Marge’s passing, he moved to an independent living facility, and brought the workshop with him, converting a second bathroom into an impressive working space, which may or may not have been in accordance with the rules. For Ernie, a visit to Home Depot was one stop short of heaven.

A poet at heart, Ernie most easily conveyed his thoughts and emotions through the written word. In his poem, The Melody of Life, he beautifully described the power of being present as the measure of a life well-lived:

Do not wait for days to fly by,

Or for moments to stand still.

Love each precious moment

So life’s measure may be filled.

Until our journey here is over,

It may be short or it may be long,

But it makes so little difference,

When your time in life’s a song.

Dad, thanks for being a loving father and a teacher by example. We love you.

Ernie is survived by his children and their spouses - Steve and Sue, Ann and John, Bob and Teri, Carol, Jim and Dee, John and Christina, Tom and Connie, his sisters Dorothy, Annette and Dolly, and was predeceased by his brother Bob.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to the Merton House. Donations can be mailed to Catholic Charities: Development Office, 238 Jewett Avenue, Bridgeport, CT 06606, or by visiting https://www.ccfairfield.org/donate/