Bobby Joe Hodge

Bobby Joe “Bob” Hodge, age 92, of Farmerville, Louisiana, entered the pearly gates of Heaven on November 3, 2026. He passed away peacefully at Union General Hospital with his devoted son, Rusty, by his side.

Bob was born at home on June 2, 1934, in Union Parish to Lloyd “Dogas” and Annie “Took” Hodge. He grew up learning the values of hard work, deep faith, and community stewardship—values he lived out every single day. His Christianity was his greatest trait as he was a faithful member of Cross Roads Church of Christ. Bob was a faithful servant as he served as secretary/treasurer of Cross Roads Church of Christ for many years.

One of Bob’s first jobs as a newly married man was a surveyor in South Dakota. Later on he worked for Commercial Solvents, IMC, and Angus Chemical Co. For over 40 years, Bob served his community as the dedicated secretary/treasurer of Rocky Branch Waterworks, working with Martha (while she lived) until his retirement in January of this year. His civic-minded heart also led him to become one of the founding board members of the Union General Hospital, where he proudly served for approximately 12 years to help protect and care for the people of Union Parish. Bob was a godly man of remarkable grace; he was a truly forgiving soul who never held a grudge and always chose kindness. He found great joy in life's simple pleasures, notably woodworking and being a master tomato gardener. His absolute favorite hobby was fishing—though his true joy came after the catch, spending hours cleaning his fish just to share the bounty with his neighbors and friends. Another passion Bob portrayed was his love of music and collecting musical instruments. Rusty was privileged to have his Dad pass his beautiful singing voice to him. Bob and Martha loved to travel to Mountain View to listen to bluegrass until he was unable to make the trips. Above all, Bob was a wonderful Dad to Charley and Rusty, teaching Rusty by example how to be an honorable man.

While Bob took great pride in his community, his greatest joy was found within the walls of his home. A beautiful testament to his and Martha's servant hearts was the foundational role they played in the life of their only granddaughter, Hope, who lived nearby. Because her mother, Jill, was sick for many years after she was born, Bob and Martha stepped in to help raise Hope as one of their very own. Bob took absolute delight in Hope, and she filled his days with endless laughter. He was immensely proud of her and seized every opportunity to show her off to anyone he met. He had a soft place for her to land, letting her bring any animal she found into the house. He was her practice client for her dream career even before anyone knew it—Hope got her foundation in the field of cosmetology/make-up by practicing directly on her beloved Papaw.

Bob is preceded in death by his cherished bride of 75 years, Martha Ann Hodge; their infant son, Baby Hodge; his parents, Lloyd “Dogas” and Annie “Took” Hodge; and his brothers, Lloyd Jr. “Roebuck” Hodge and Johnny Hodge.

His legacy lives on through his devoted sons, Rusty (Jill) Hodge of Farmerville, LA, and Charley Hodge of Las Vegas, NV; his grandchildren, Hope Hodge, Jordan Hodge, Brittni Hodge, and Adam Hodge; his great-grandchildren, Arya, Ashton, and a precious new great-grandson, Teal, due March 2027; his favorite sister, Joy “Joann” Tatum; and a large, loving circle of nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, November 6, 2026, at Cross Roads Church of Christ with Tommy Lindsey and Don DeLukie officiating. Visitation will begin at 1:00 PM, followed immediately by the funeral service at 2:00 PM. Bob will be laid to rest beside his infant son and his beautiful bride in the Cross Roads Cemetery.

Serving as pallbearers will be Phillip Smith, Wendell Hodge, Sidney Antley, Tim Hodge, Brian Hodge, and Scotty Knowles. Honorary pallbearers will be J.C. Honeycutt, Allen Dale Pace, Earl Babineau, Ronnie Nolan, Jimmy Brantley, Kevin Brantley, Justin Brantley, Dennis Dean, and Bobby Green.

The family wishes to extend their deepest, most heartfelt gratitude to the Rocky Branch/Cross Roads Volunteer Fire Dept, and the staff at Union General Hospital for showing incredible care during Bob's final days and hours. He was cared for by the very community he spent a lifetime building and serving.