Kathryn Appley Hodges, 99, died after a brief illness on June 5, 2019. She was born Nov. 1, 1919 in Union City to James A. and Frieda Appley. In 1924 Kay came to Emerson at 5. She graduated Westwood High School in 1937.
She married the love of her life, Donald Bradford Hodges, in 1942. They enjoyed 71 years of marriage before he passed.
Kay served Zion Lutheran Church in Westwood as a parishioner and a member of the Altar Guild.
She also served on Westwood Volunteer Fire Department Ladies Auxiliary for many years. She was a devoted member of the Order of the Eastern Star, Temple Chapter 62 OES, Jeptha Chapter 134 OES for 72 years.
She was proud to have her two sons and one grandson as members of the Masonic Fraternity.
Kay was part owner and operator of Fraternally Yours in Westwood from 1972 until retirement.
A 1942 graduate of Hackensack Hospital School of Nursing, she was the oldest practicing registered nurse in New Jersey, working as the public health nurse in Emerson from 1966 to April 4, 2019.
She is survived by sons James Bradford Hodges and his wife Helen Mandeville Hodges; son James Donald Hodges I and his wife Cheryl Hrbek Hodges; grandsons James Donald II and his wife Randi Whyard Hodges; Noel Bradford and his wife Kristin Blair Hodges, Robert Beau Hodges and his wife Nicole Broderick Hodges; Trevor James Hodges and his fiancee Jennifer Reilly; Amy and Dave Dellentash and Lori Hrbek; great-grandchildren Conner McCarron, Luke Dellentash, Steven Christopher Hodges, Avery Kathryn Hodges, Jackson Bradford Hodges, Robert James Hodges, James Donald Hodges III, Sean Christopher Dellentash, Carter Blair Hodges, Jackson Christopher and Andrew Christopher Schager, Henry Michael Hodges, June Rose Hodges, Emily Grace Schager, Audrey Marie Hodges.
She also is predeceased by grandson Sgt. Christopher Hrbek, USMC.
The family writes, “We thank the dedicated team at Care One at Valley, in Westwood, for caring for Kathryn with respect and compassion. Each of you made her final journey much easier.”
The family will receive friends at Becker Funeral Home, 219 Kinderkamack Road, Westwood on Sunday from 2 to 8 p.m. Eastern Star Service at 7 p.m. Funeral at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Second Avenue and Elm Street, Westwood, on Monday at 10 a.m.
Interment to follow at Westwood Cemetery, Westwood. Memorial donations to Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, 155 Second Avenue, Westwood, NJ 07675 are appreciated.
