Alfred H. Hodson 11 Obituary (1937 - 2023)

Alfred H. Hodson ll, 85, of Sanford, Maine, devoted husband, loving father, grandfather, and brother passed away on January 31, 2023. He joins his beloved wife of 59 years, Dorothy, his parents, Elmer and Helen (Renwick), his sister, Margaret (Ernest) Phelps and daughter, Mary Ann, at their lasting home in heaven. He is lovingly remembered and dearly missed by his children Laura (Mark) Beauchesne, Suzanne (Michael) Binette, Heidi (Marc) L’Heureux, Alfred Hodson lll, and Rebekah Hodson; his grandchildren Abbigayle and Madeline Beauchesne, Olivia and William Binette, Hannah, Jacob, and Eliza L’Heureux, and Heather and Caroline Hodson; his brother George (Renate) Hodson and many nieces and nephews. Alfred was born in White Plains New York and grew up in Mansfield, Massachusetts along with his older sister, Margaret, and younger brother, George. He graduated from Mansfield High School in 1954 where he was remembered by classmates for his hijinks and sense of humor. After graduation, he enlisted in the US Army and was stationed in California and Germany. Upon returning to Massachusetts, he attended Northeastern University in Boston, graduating with a BS in Chemical Engineering. During his time there, a friend introduced him to his future wife, Dorothy. They were married in 1961 and started a family. The through line in Al’s life was commitment to his work and family. He and Dorothy moved to Sanford, Maine where they raised their five children. He was an engineer at American Cyanamid Company (later Cyro). During his 30+ year career there, he worked in various roles eventually earning the title of Manager of Corporate Engineering. He often traveled to Germany to learn the latest manufacturing techniques and made lasting friendships with colleagues there. He always returned with a good bottle of Riesling and a box of Swiss chocolates in his luggage! In later years, Al oversaw the construction of a second Cyro facility in Osceola, Arkansas and was presented with a key to their city upon completion of the project. It humbled him to know that his work helped create meaningful employment for the people there. Al valued self-sufficiency and was as productive at home as he was at the office. He had many hobbies, all of them purposeful. He enjoyed woodworking, tending extensive vegetable and flower gardens, renovating the house, and repairing family automobiles. He tried his hand at beekeeping and tapped maple trees for syrup. He mowed the lawn, harvested firewood to heat the house and plowed his own driveway. At the end of the evening, he could be found in his favorite chair, positioned with a view of the yard. In his spare time, he volunteered at the Saco River Salmon Club helping to reintroduce salmon to the Maine waterways and was a member of the Maine Audubon. An avid outdoorsman, Al loved to hike, fish, and hunt with friends and shared these passions with his children, too. He instilled in them a deep love and respect for the natural world. Family vacations were often spent camping and hiking in state and national parks or visiting historical sites. Either way, there was always an adventure and lesson involved. When departing from a campsite, he reminded his children, “Be sure to leave it better than you found it!”, words that translated to so many of their future endeavors. Al embraced Franklin’s early to bed early to rise philosophy. He relished the dawn of each new day, often mischievously waking his children at 6am proclaiming, “Rise and shine! The day’s half over!” While they burrowed deeper into their blankets, he would remind them, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life!” Needless to say, they became early risers. When Al proposed to Dorothy he promised to be “a straight arrow.” True to his word, he was a reliable and devoted husband who joined family dinner every evening at the table he made with planks hewn from a tree that grew in his childhood backyard. His presence was constant and reassuring. He often referred to Dorothy as the love of his life. She turned the vegetables from his gardens into delicious dinners, arranged the lilacs and lilies he planted into lovely bouquets, made jam and muffins from his well-tended raspberry bushes, and lovingly cared for the day-to-day needs of their bustling family. When the children left home for college and to start families of their own, Dorothy and Al traveled extensively. Together they enjoyed visiting countries in Europe and Asia, taking jaunts along the Maine Coast and East Coast, and birding across the United States. Al beamed at the weddings of his children, and he deftly danced wife and daughters across the floor. In 2011, he and Dorothy spent a weekend in Bar Harbor, celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary with all their children and grandchildren. Three generations viewed sunrise on Cadillac Mountain in a communal rise and shine! Al enjoyed his role as patriarch and grandfather and sat at the head of the table for family gatherings over the years. He was the official turkey roaster, meatball maker and crown roast chef for the holidays. His stuffing and gravy were legendary, and family lingered at the table for hours! Al enjoyed many happy times with his wife and growing family. He often said his one regret was not retiring sooner! In his final 5 years, Dorothy’s illness and his own medical issues kept him closer to home. Despite emotional and physical hardship, he remained positive, grateful, and uncomplaining, emphasizing that the two best decisions of his life were marrying his beloved Dorothy and making their homestead on Mount Hope. He lived there contentedly for three years after she passed away with support and care from his children and devoted friends. The Hodson family will be forever grateful to all those who pitched in, allowing him to spend his final years in the place where his happiest memories were made. A celebration of life will be held at noon on Friday June 23rd at The Sanford Country Club, 588 Country Club Rd, Sanford, ME. In lieu of flowers, donations to Maine Audubon, 20 Gilsland Farm Road, Falmouth, Maine 04105 are appreciated.