She never ran for office, broke a record, or won a medal -- but to family and friends, she was golden.
Marion Brown Hodges of Decatur died July 31 of complications from heart disease. She was 87. Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at A.S. Turner and Sons, Decatur.
Mrs. Hodges was born in Atlanta, and grew up in the Bellwood neighborhood. She attended Commercial High School, and met George T. Hodges Jr. when he was dating her sister. The two hit it off, and wed when Marion was 18.
After World War II, Mr. Hodges took a job with Atlanta's police department. He started work the day of the Winecoff Hotel fire. Marion's son, George R. Hodges of Marietta, said his mother "sometimes talked about what a tough-minded person you had to be, to be a police officer -- or a police officer's wife."
"If there was anybody tougher than my mom, they never lived," he added.
Marion and George T. parted in the early 1960s. With a family to support, Marion worked for a flooring company and a plastics firm. Later she found a secretarial job with the City of Atlanta. She assisted Atlanta's Clerk of Council, attorney Larry Dingle. Through him, she met Lorette Sibilly who was her friend for more than 20 years.
"She was so much fun," said Ms. Sibilly. "I loved the way she laughed -- it was deep and strong. I am going to miss her so." Shared interests included game of Skip-Bo and gospel music.
She fondly recalled a trip to Savannah. "We went to a conference, and she left town with pink rollers in her hair. She would not take them out. When we got to our hotel, I told her, 'You stay here. I'm going to take you around to the back door,'" said Ms. Sibilly.
She also praised her friend's professionalism. "She was very dedicated at her office. She loved her manual typewriter! And by 7 a.m., she was at work."
Larry Dingle noted Mrs. Hodges' calm counsel, and work ethic. He said he often arrived at work to find Mayor Maynard Jackson (another early riser) chatting at his former assistant's desk. "She was a wonderfully warm and gracious human being who always found a way to make things better when the worst of someone's character exposed itself. We will miss her."
Greg Pridgeon, former chief of staff for Mayor Shirley Franklin, and current chief of staff of Rockdale County's board of commissioners, met Mrs. Hodges when he was a policy analyst for Atlanta City Council. "She was a good friend to me, and to my family," he said. "She was also meticulous in her work. She was caring, and always willing to assist newer employees. She was genuine -- and she had a good old southern twang. She was small in stature -- but a giant, in her own way."
"She was also close to my family. My children still call her 'Grandma Hodges,' " he said.
In addition to her son, survivors also include three grandchildren.
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