SESSER – Kent Dale Hodge, age 85, of Sesser, Illinois, left this life on Sunday, May 25, 2025, at Good Samaritan Hospital in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, surrounded by his family and went to live his eternal life with Jesus in Heaven.
Kent was born in Nason, Illinois on October 19, 1939, to Delbert and Ethel (Sigwerth) Hodge. On August 12, 1961, he married his high school sweetheart, Joyce Stubblefield. After graduating from Southeast Missouri State University with a teaching degree in 1962, Kent began teaching and coaching at Akin Grade School where he taught for the next 32 years, including two years as the principal. During that time, he also earned his Masters in Education degree from Union Commonwealth University in Barbourville, Kentucky, in 1971. He loved his vocation, the students he taught, and developed a wonderfully close relationship with those he worked with. He also served our country in the Illinois National Guard. He was a member of the First Christian Church and loved his church family and taught adult Sunday School classes. Kent loved to play baseball and participated in track and football in high school and was football captain his senior year. He enjoyed his many collections, loved to travel the country to visit historical sites, especially forts, battlefields and historical cemeteries (sometimes in the middle of nowhere). Kent loved spending time outside working in his yard, planting trees, and gardening.
Kent was preceded in death by his parents, Delbert Renzo Hodge and Ethel Genevieve Hodge; grandson, Miller Ray Davis; brother, Merlin Hodge and wife, Carolyn; sister, Maxine (Hodge) Darnell and husband, Warren; sisters-in-law, Carolyn Stubblefield and Bette (Stubblefield) Reynolds; brother-in-law, Richard Garner; and nieces, Sara Stubblefield and Danielle Reynolds.
Kent is survived and missed by his loving wife, Joyce of 63 years; his daughters, Michelle Davis and Lenise (Steve) Sgutt of Herrin; grandchildren, Morgan (companion Wes) Davis of Herrin, Mason Davis of Marion, and Dr. Emilie (Matthew) Mueller of Indianapolis; great-grandson, Echo Smart of Christopher; brothers-in-law, Richard (Carolyn) Stubblefield and Gary Reynolds; sisters-in-law, JoAnn Garner and Gayla Stubblefield; nieces, Brenda (Tom) Martin, Kara (Karl) Silge, Carla (Vic) Daiber, and Jennifer (Ed) Lobenhofer; nephews, Drs. Kevin (Myjal) Garner, Brian (companion Doli) Hodge, Kendall (Claire) Garner, and Brandon Reynolds.
Visitation for Kent will be on Saturday, May 31, 2025, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., at Brayfield-Gilbert Funeral Home in Sesser. Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. with Pastors John Plunkett and Eric Lam officiating, and there will be a time of reflection if anyone would like to share a story about Kent. Burial will be at Maple Hill Cemetery in Sesser immediately following the service.
In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the St. Jude Research Hospital, and will be accepted at the funeral home or mailed to Brayfield-Gilbert Funeral Home, P O Box 624, Sesser, IL 62884.
For more information go to our website www.gilbertfuneralhomes.com