Hester Wayne Hodge

Hester Wayne Hodge was born on August 20, 1931, in Coalfire, Pickens County, Alabama, to Emmett Warren Hodge and Cara Artelia Hodge. Wayne was the eldest of their three sons, Winston and Willard, who have preceded him in death.

Wayne was active in FFA in Pickens County and graduated President of his high school class of 1949. After a year of college in Livingston, he joined the Air Force in June 1951.

Stationed in Love Field, Dallas in 1952, a relative told him about a young woman named Alice Winn who also lived in Dallas. Alice had visited their church in Alabama on vacation with her parents. After a memorable phone call, Alice drove to the Air Force base to meet and pick up Wayne. The day in April 1952 “that changed the rest of their lives” was spent driving around Dallas and Southern Methodist University. They decided to write to each other as Wayne was heading out for B-29 School in Illinois.

Upon return, the couple married in October 1954 in Edgewood, Texas. They were stationed in California and Texas until Air Force Staff Sergeant Wayne was honorably discharged and enrolled at SMU to begin studying mechanical engineering. After Wayne’s graduation, Alice and Wayne moved to Shreveport, Louisiana in 1958. Wayne joined Texas Eastern Transmission Corporation, where he would serve a remarkable 30 plus year career. Wayne worked in several executive roles with Texas Eastern. He achieved graduate degrees from Louisiana Tech and Harvard Business School. During their time in Shreveport, Wayne and Alice cherished the early years of parenthood and Wayne became a devoted father to John and Jimmy.

In 1972, the family moved to Houston, Texas and joined Tallowood Baptist Church. Wayne and Alice would spend the next 40 years in service in the children’s ministry and international mission opportunities. He loved serving the Lord as a deacon at Tallowood and was an instrumental member of the pastoral search committee as well as several other committees. He served Texas Baptists with leadership for Baylor University, Truett Seminary, and the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

After his retirement, Wayne and Alice immensely adored time with grandchildren and enjoyed traveling the world. To know Wayne Hodge was a treasure as he knew how to love people and loved interviewing you and discovering “what you enjoyed”.

His family humbly honors Wayne’s legacy, and his 67 years of marriage to Alice; his two sons, John Warren Hodge of Houston, Texas and his wife Gretchen; James Robert Hodge of Houston, Texas and his wife Anne; his five grandchildren, Andrew Warren Hodge (Sarah), Paul Stewart Hodge (Lizzy), Hunter Wayne Hodge (2022), Hannah Marie Hodge, and Hope Elizabeth Hodge (and fiancée Kirby Courtney); his four great grandchildren, Brett Hodge, Charlotte Hodge, Kinsley Hodge, and Grant Hodge; his many relatives in Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.

The family also gives special thanks to Beatriz Gonzalez, Parkway Place and Cornerstone caregivers, visitors from Tallowood, and Blue Star Hospice who tirelessly gave time and beautiful care to Wayne in the last months of his life. In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests to please consider making a memorial contribution to Tallowood Baptist Church – Tallowood Foundation, 555 Tallowood Drive, Houston, TX 77024