Obituary of Gwendolyn (Gwen) Lucille Hodgson (nee Trotter)

January 1, 1924 - Sugar City, Colorado, USA

December 6, 2021 - Calgary, Alberta

 

Gwendolyn Hodgson of Calgary, AB, passed away on Monday, December 6, 2021 at the age of 97 years. She was just a month shy of her 98th birthday when she received her final wish and went to be with Jesus.

 

Gwen was born and raised on a large cattle ranch in Sugar City, CO along with her sister Philomene and brother Virgil. She shared many stories about herding and milking cows, riding her favorite horse, Goldie and learning to drive when she was eight!  Her dad wanted the girls to know how to drive to the neighboring ranch for help, if need be. She talked about living on the ranch during the ‘Dirty Thirties’ when they had to ride out and repair the fences after tumbleweeds and dust had piled up to the point of tipping the fence over.

 

She attended a two-room grade school in Sand Arroya, CO where her mother, Amy Trotter, was the schoolteacher. Later, she and her sister Philomene went to high school in Sugar City and then on to Pasadena College and Pasadena Academy in California, where Gwen graduated in 1940. She completed her Teaching degree at Colorado State College of Education in Greeley, CO, graduating in December 1943.

 

Gwen travelled extensively and taught in several places in California and Colorado.  She applied for a teaching assignment overseas on a US military base and was shipped off to the island of Okinawa in 1956.  On weekends, the teachers were allowed to ride in the US Military planes for free.  She and her teaching colleagues took full advantage of this perk, traveling all over Asia and seeing places that most people never see. She had many friends, memories and stories of those travels and her time teaching in Okinawa.

 

While in Okinawa, she met her first husband Gene Felderman. In 1958, they returned to the US and were assigned to Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware.  She taught school on the Air Force Base in the Caesar Rodney School District.  Gwen’s daughters Cheryl and Wendy were born at the Air Force Base Hospital in Dover. In 1963, she and Gene were divorced.  As a single mother in a time not friendly to such circumstances, she persevered. One step at a time, she moved forward for herself and her daughters. They say out of the darkest times comes the brightest light and that is exactly what happened for Gwen. 

 

She prayed for direction, and she got it when a letter arrived from an old friend who was also divorced. That began a long-distance romance that resulted in marriage to Lew Hodgson in April 1965, who moved her and her daughters to start a blended family in Cranbrook, BC, with his son Lew Jr.  With the marriage to Lew, Gwen also gained adult daughters, Darlene and Joy, and her family happily grew to five children.

 

Gwen worked with Lew in his businesses - Cranbrook Tire Service (Cranbrook), Canadian Treads (Calgary) and Sept Tire (Medicine Hat). They attended and supported Cranbrook Alliance Church, creating many beautiful and life-long friendships.  In 1973, the family moved to Calgary, where Gwen created new friendships and the family attended Calgary First Church of the Nazarene. Gwen remained a lifelong member.

 

Lew and Gwen had a summer home on Flathead Lake in Montana, where all the family and many friends gathered on numerous occasions, creating cherished memories.  For the kids and grandkids alike, favorite memories are from Flathead Lake where Gwen ALWAYS drove the boat and pulled anyone who wanted to water-ski. She also loved dumping unsuspecting riders off the tube into the lake!

 

Gwen will be remembered for being witty, smart, and a very talented musician.  Everywhere she went, she led choirs, played both piano and organ at church, or started a hymn sing.  In Arizona, at the Nazarene church in Calgary and finally at her retirement home, Amica Aspen Woods. It was always a treat to watch when Gwen and her sister would get together and play - one on the piano, the other on the organ - how they loved to make music together!  Now they’re making music again together in heaven. Her daughters had the honor of hearing her play the piano one last time ten days before she passed away at Southwood Hospice in Calgary, AB.

 

Gwen and Lew spent 30+ years wintering at The Resort, in Mesa, Arizona and made so many beautiful friendships. Her retirement years were spent making numerous crafts, where her talent also shone. 

 

Gwen is survived by her five children, Darlene Phillips of Eureka, CA, Joy Barraco of Escondido, CA, Lew (Sandy) Hodgson of Kapaau, HI, Cheryl (Randy) Borisenko of Calgary, AB and Wendy (Robert) Cardell of Rochon Sands, AB; by her ten grandchildren; eighteen great-grandchildren and six great-great grandchildren.  Gwen is also survived by her sister-in-law, niece and nephew all in Colorado; as well as numerous great nieces, nephews, cousins and friends scattered all over the United States and Canada. She was predeceased by her husband Lew Hodgson; her parents, Charles and Amy; siblings, Philomene and Virgil; son-in-laws, Rod Phillips and Tony Barraco and granddaughter Julie Britt.

 

 

A Celebration of Gwen’s Life will be held at a later date.

 

Condolences, memories and photos can be shared and viewed here. 

 

In honor of Gwen’s wishes, the family will be creating a music bursary at Ambrose University in Calgary, Alberta to provide financial assistance to students in the Music Program. If friends so desire, donations are gratefully accepted for the Gwen Hodgson Memorial Music Bursary here: https://ambrose.edu/donate/hodgson.

 

Gwen’s family would like to thank Dr. Roode and the Unit 73 staff at Rockyview Hospital along with Dr. Bland and the staff at Southwood Hospice for the loving and compassionate care shown to Gwen and her family in her final days.

 

In living memory of Gwendolyn Hodgson, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Park Memorial, 5008 Elbow Drive SW, Calgary, AB T2S 2L5.  Telephone:  403-243-8200.