John HODGSON

Family-Placed Death Notice

HODGSON, John John Mark Hodgson (May 12, 1951-August 14, 2013) John Mark Hodgson was an artist, a historian, a chef, and especially a comedian. He loved his children and grandchild, doted on his wife Becky, adored his sister Ellen Oakes, and enjoyed his nieces and nephews. He passed away on August 14th, 2013 after a happy life of which he could not have been more proud. Mark would refer to art as a "theme" in his life. His mother, Agnes McLendon (deceased) was a professional artist. His wife, Becky Richardson, was an Art History major at the University of Georgia, where the two met and swiftly married. The couple spent many years happily running Hodgson Photo Service in downtown Atlanta. They eventually raised two sons John and Robert, to whom he taught his love of cooking and the outdoors, respectively. He was, at one time or another, their coach, Sunday School teacher, Boy Scout leader, tutor, and driving instructor. Mark was a Renaissance man who especially enjoyed reading any historical book he could get his hands on, most recently Herodotus. He would speak with passion on topics ranging from dirty politics, to fast cars, to technology, and to his favorite birds visiting his feeders. He waged a continual war with the squirrels who would eat all of the seed. Mark cooked like a champ, a fact well known to anyone lucky enough to find a seat at his table. He never stopped experimenting with new and exciting recipes, even after nearly losing his eyebrows to a particularly robust version of flambéed Bananas Foster. His sautéed asparagus and his pecan crusted trout was known to entice even the most discerning palate. Mark dressed for comfort, wearing the suspenders that he loved with a white shirt, jeans, and a hat to prevent sunburn (his head was a hairless feature he claimed possessed superior aerodynamics). However, when pressed to don a "monkey suit", as he called them, he cleaned up with the best of them. The family would like to thank Drs. Katz and Frederickson and the staff of Piedmont Hospital for all their wonderful care over the years. He and his family are very grateful for the many happy years enabled by his kidney transplant donors. In lieu of flowers, please send any donations to the Georgia Transplant Foundation at Piedmont Hospital. A memorial service will be held in the chapel of A.S. Turner and Sons at 4:00 PM on Saturday August 17th. The family will receive friends from 3:00 to 4:00 PM on Saturday at A.S. Turner and Sons Funeral Home and Crematory.