Jonathan Theophilus Hodge (3 Apr 1928 - 19 Jan 2015)

Uncle Johnny you live on in the family that you left behind.
My deepest condolences goes out them at this time of sadness.
May the Almighty ease the pain and suffering that is in hearts and minds. With the knowledge that you are in his care now and that all sins are forgiven. R.I.P

Rest in peace theophilus x

Felicia, the Corbin family offer our deepest condolences at this time of sorrow for the loss of Jonathan Hodge.

Words cannot express the sadness we feel, and while we can’t be there in person we are there for you and your family in spirit, and are thinking of you during these difficult times.

R.I.P Uncle Johnny

May the angels guide you to Heaven. Rest in Peace Uncle !

Tribute to my Father

My late father was a character. He liked to do things his way and would never give you a straight answer. He brought us up to have Christian and moral values and would severely reprimand us if we did not uphold those values as we were growing up. For this I thank him.

My Dad loved his whisky. I remember a time when I was around 14 years old, he had brought dozens of cases of Whisky Mac, which he stored in his bedroom. I was going to my school Christmas disco, so I took one of the bottles out of a case near the bottom of the stack. It only took him a couple of weeks to discover the bottle missing. I thought that it would have taken him months. He came straight to me and asked if I had taken it. I owned up and that was the end of the matter. He knew I wouldn’t have done it again without telling him.

He encouraged me to travel and when I was 7 years old, took Jacqueline and me on holiday to France, Holland, Belgium and Germany. He also took me to Majorca with a group on a trip that he had organised. Whilst there, he got talking to the chef of the SS Trenton, an American Frigate and the group was invited onto the ship for dinner the following evening.

Dad loved his music and watching classic films. He had hundreds of tapes, CDs and vinyl records and the house was always filled with music.

Dad liked to party and had many parties at home, with us children looking down from upstairs, with our heads through the banisters, as his guests arrived. When I was older, he took me to some of the house parties that he went to, as well as a couple of dinner dances.

Although we didn’t always agree on matters and I found him very stubborn at times (a trait that I may have inherited), we had a very good relationship and I would often ask him for things on behalf of my siblings. Because he instilled in me the value of money and that it had to be earned, I had become very independent before I left home. I helped him with his pools rounds and received a percentage of the takings and worked in a supermarket on Saturdays and after school to earn money. I made him very proud when I was able to buy my own home without his assistance.

I had never heard my Dad swear whilst I lived at home and had never sworn in front of him, so was shocked when he came to visit me and a friend of mine who had just split from her partner was there turning the air blue with what she thought of him. I was embarrassed and apologised to Dad for her behaviour. He had found the situation quite amusing and said that she had to get it off of her chest. He didn’t mind her swearing and I saw another side to my Dad. I’ve heard him swear several times since.

Let me tell my Big Foot Friends, every time I went to visit Dad, he always had a bottle of wine for me to drink and one to take home. When I used to drink brandy, he always had a bottle in the house. We would laugh and joke and although he had some secrets, he was open with me about most things. I could say things to him that others wouldn’t dare.



Dad was a proud man and liked to live by his own decisions. He disliked relinquishing control, although towards the end, when the Dementia set in, he came to trust more in my judgement and guidance. I had feared that he would revert back to childlike state and need constant care.and I am so proud of him for maintaining his dignity despite having problems with mobility.

Dad, you gave me the fortitude to be the woman I am today. For this I thank you again. You have been blessed with so many good friends and neighbours who have enriched your life, as you have theirs. You will be sadly missed by all.

So I’ll cry, let loose and embrace my sorrow
Because I know for me there is tomorrow
I’ll hang on to and share of you my memories
That live on in my heart like birds wings on a breeze

Your Loving Daughter

Felicia