Lawrence E Hodge

Lawrence (Larry) E. Hodge, Jr., born September 7, 1949, was the first child of Lawrence E. Hodge, Sr. and Ida Bertha Hodge of Dahlgren, VA. Larry was educated in the public schools of King George Co., VA, and graduated from King George High School. He was a great lover of music and played in the school band throughout his academic career.
At the age of 20 Larry enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he honorably served his country for eight years, including tours in Vietnam and Japan. He achieved the rank of Sergeant and received the Air Force Commendation Medal. As an airman, Larry continued to express his love for music by working as a DJ for a military radio station. In 1972, while still serving in the Air Force, Larry married Linda Bowser of Odessa, Texas, and to this union one child, Reginald D. Hodge, was born.
Following his discharge from the Air Force, Larry moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked as a carrier for the U.S. Postal Service for many years. He married the love of his life, Cheryl Roach White, in 1982, and, although no children were born to this union, he was a loving step-father to one step-son, Ernest Robert (Bobby) White.
Larry will be remembered most for his outgoing, fun-loving personality and infectious laughter. He was a gifted chef who loved to entertain family and friends with his signature barbecued ribs and chicken, and, most famously, his delectably Old Bay-seasoned steamed crabs. A die-hard Redskins fan, Larry (a.k.a. "Cave Man") was the life of any football or card party, and was usually the last man (or woman, for that matter) standing on the dance floor. He was often heard to say that it was always his role to make other people happy, and he acted on this commitment through his devotion to family and friends.
When all is said and done, it's "the little things" that mean the most. The little things we will always remember about Larry include how he watched over his sister Gail during a prolonged illness immediately following her college graduation, sleeping at the foot of her bed for weeks at a time; how he nursed his beloved "Cherry Pie Cherry" back to health after a major surgical procedure; and how he would get up before the break of day on frigid winter mornings to warm up "Cherry's" car and stock it with water, tissues, and other necessities. Larry extended this same faithfulness to close friends like Wilbur (Wil) Eubanks, whom he accompanied to physical therapy for months after he was involved in a serious automobile accident. At one point during the course of his therapy, Wil was in so much pain that he threatened to jump from a second-story window. Larry replied simply, "Then I guess we'll just have to jump together!"
That's the kind of friend Larry was…always there. And on the occasion of his homegoing, he asked that the family acknowledge his "always there" lifelong friend, Kelly "Horse Collar" Jefferson (a, k.a. "Jeff"). From running through the woods and jumping into creeks with him as childhood friends in Dahlgren, VA to answering countless calls for help with household repairs as "road buddies" in Ft. Washington, MD, Jeff always had Larry's back. Larry wants you to know, Jeff, that he will forever have your back, just from his new vantage point in heaven, as he will continue to stand watch over all of his loved ones.
Larry leaves to cherish his memory: his devoted and loving wife, Cheryl; his mother, Ida B. Hodge of Dahlgren, VA; one son, Reginald D. Hodge of Odessa, TX; his sister, Gail O. Hodge of Dahlgren, VA; one step-son, Ernest R. ("Bobby") White (Maria); two grandchildren, Erik and Marissa White; one god-daughter, Regina A. Banks; one sister-in-law, Deidra Roach-Quarles (Ernest); two brothers-in-law, Macon L. Roach and Michael W. Roach; and a host of nieces, nephews, and close friends.
We'll see you in the next life, "Cave Man."


Funeral Home:
Cedell Brooks Funeral Home
25662 A.P. Hill Blvd
Port Royal, VA
US 22535