Raycine M. Hodo

Raycine Monique Hodo passed away on February 13, 2026, with her loved ones by her side, following complications from a recurrence of breast cancer-a disease she had resolutely overcome in 2019 and firmly left behind. She refused to let it define her.

Born on January 1, 1965, in Rochester, NY, Raycine lived a life defined by intelligence, curiosity, warmth, and love of family. Anyone who knew her felt seen, loved, and respected. She greeted others with a typically soft-spoken demeanor, and once engaged would reveal a 10,000-watt smile and a laugh that could fill the whole sky-authentic, unexpectedly bold, and joyful. Once she really got going she would start crying with laughter, her body's response to feeling so much joy, and it was contagious.

Raycine was humble, exceptionally well educated, and never stopped wanting to learn more. Her academic excellence earned her scholarships to Smith College, where she graduated summa cum laude, and to the University of Wisconsin–Madison, where she pursued her graduate degree in Geology-achievements she carried with quiet pride. A proud geologist and lifelong lover of the outdoors, she found joy in hiking, exploring, and studying and understanding the stories written in stone.

In her younger years, Raycine and her cousins would hang out during the summers, getting into mischief. She was always the level-headed one, while her cousins were always getting them all in trouble. Growing up in a small town fed her desire to see what else was out there and embrace adventure. She lived at various times in California, Florida, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin before eventually making Annapolis, Maryland her permanent home. She delighted in traveling, discovering new restaurants, sharing good wine, and gathering around a table filled with conversation and laughter. She was proud of her career with the City of Annapolis and maintained lasting ties to the Annapolis restaurant community, where she worked while completing her graduate studies.

Raycine loved her family, which stretched from New York to Virginia, Maryland, Florida, Seattle, and California. Family reunions and even small get-togethers were her joy, because she knew they would be filled with great stories, good food, wine, and laughter. The family loved it when Raycine started laughing because it warmed our hearts. She cherished those times with her extended family and treasured her friendships just as much. She is survived by her loving sister, Theresa Wilson; her cherished niece, Rae-L Webb (Jacob); and her much-adored grand-niece, Raya Sealy. She also leaves behind her uncles, Fletcher Wilson and William Wilson; her aunt, Georgia Megginson; many cousins and extended family members; and the friends she collected over the course of her life and made part of her family-including Dorothy Aubrey and Amanda Dix, who began as coworkers and became lifelong friends Raycine kept forever.

She was predeceased by her parents, Claudette Wilson and Cobby Hodo; her beloved nephew, Harry Wilson; and her deeply loved and deeply missed dog, Diesel.

Raycine was a Renaissance woman. Her legacy is one of love-of family, of learning, of life itself-and of resilience, warmth, and joy. She will be profoundly missed and lovingly remembered always.

A public viewing will be held on Thursday, February 19 at Lasting Tributes from 2-3 pm. Raycine's funeral service will begin at 3:00 pm. Interment is private.