Albert J. Hodge

Albert Jean Hodge, affectionately referred to as Dad, Lito, Uncle Jean (pronounced "zjaw"), Uncle Johnny, was born in French Cul-de-Sac, St. Martin, on March 2, 1928. He was one of fifteen children, born to Maurille and Virginia Hodge.

While growing up in St. Martin, he spent a lot of time with his brother George diving off their fishing boat in the Caribbean Sea. He was an excellent swimmer and was known to "swim like a fish!"

In the late 1950's, he emigrated to Manhattan, NY where he lived as a bachelor until meeting, falling in love with, and then marrying the beautiful Redella Felestia Brooks on June 17, 1962. Two children were born to this union, Diane Marie Hodge-Greene and Edmund Franklin Hodge. He remained in New York until moving to Nashville, TN in 1975 and then to Orlando, FL in 1993.

He really loved music and maintained an extensive record collection. Some of his favorite singers were The Bill Gaither Trio, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and Sandi Patty, to name a few. While living in New York, he played the guitar for The Hodge Trio – his nieces, Pat and Laverna, and their brother Maurice. Almost every Friday evening, they would gather at his apartment and sing and performed for churches, weddings, etc.

Albert enjoyed working on cars. He was an auto mechanic for many years, working for the states of New York and Tennessee. He partnered with his friend William K. Brown, Jr. to start a business together – H & B Automotive. Many times they worked late into the night, although they each held full-time day jobs.

He was a man of great faith and a devout Christian. In St. Martin, after becoming a Seventh-day Adventist, he and two members of the French Cul-de-Sac SDA Church – Elder Charles Hodge and wife Angele Hodge – traveled to the Dutch side of the island (St. Maarten) to carry the Advent message. There, they started a branch Sabbath School in the Zagersgut area.

He later became a member of the City Tabernacle SDA Church in Manhattan, NY, Hillcrest SDA Church in Nashville, TN, and Mount Sinai SDA Church in Orlando, FL. He loved to work for the Church. He was an ordained Elder and Deacon and served for decades in many capacities. He was a praying man and loved to read the bible and could quote many scriptures from memory. He shared those scriptures with his family and almost everyone he met, including his doctor and total strangers.

On Sabbath morning, April 22, 2017, Albert peacefully fell asleep in the Lord. He leaves to mourn his beloved wife, Redella, daughter Diane and her husband Kevin, son Ed and his wife Krisha and their children Justin Edmund and Jordan Christopher, his only remaining sibling – sister Violette Hunt, sisters-in-law Marcelle Hodge, Maritza Brooks, Erma Brooks, Oriele Brooks, Emita Brooks, and Ann Brooks, brother-in-law Oril Brooks, and hosts of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.