Ken Hodges

Ken Hodges

Ken Hodges, one of California's most versatile artists and illustrators, died Monday, October 3, 2011 in his Cypress home. His paintings are displayed in the Smithsonian, the Pentagon, the Air Force Museum, and the Air Space Museum. Skilled in watercolors, oils, and acrylics, he is most known for his astronautics paintings for NASA. After serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II, Ken was selected to execute documentary art for the Air Force Academy Museum. His formal education at the Art Center School of Design and the Chouinard Art Institute prepared him for his lustrous career as an illustrator. He opened his private studio in Los Alamitos in 1974.Ken received awards from the Society of Illustrators, the Los Angeles Art Directors' Club, NASA, the Smithsonian Institute, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Technical Illustrators Management Association, the Society for Technical Communications, and others. In private collections, his work has been displayed by the late Major General James H. Doolittle, as well as the late World War II fighter ace Major Leonard "Kit" Carson. Ken also created 9 postage stamps for the U.S. Postal Service including the first hologram stamps of Future Airmail Transportation, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Commemorative Stamp, and the Columbia River Gorge Postcard. Hodges has executed artistic commissions all over the world for major corporations. His favorite landscape paintings were in Yosemite, Crystal Cove, and Catalina. His art hung in the MJW Gallery on Balboa Island. Ken was born April 17, 1926 in San Francisco to Kenneth C. Hodges, Sr., and Doris May Metcalf. He is survived by his wife, Jeanette and his sister ,Carol Gorowitz. His children are Rick Hodges, Janine Albert, Kurt Hodges, and Eric Hodges. His legacy lives on in his 5 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and 2 adopted granddaughters. Art and sailing were Ken's equal passions. He was a member of the Los Alamitos Bay Yacht Club for more than 50 years. Memorial donations may be made in his honor to the Alamitos Bay Yacht Club Youth Program (7201 E. Ocean Blvd, Long Beach, CA, 90803). He will be remembered as a great artist, great sailor, great soul, and great teaser. Ken and Jeanette had 38 years of great happiness. They were nicknamed Ken and Barbie by those who know them. They were made for each other. Please sign the guest book at www.presstelegram.com/obituaries.