Yvonne, On behalf of my wife Iris and my brother David, condolences on your loss.

I was in my early twenties when I bought my first house which was in Bowness back in 1984, and I volunteered for the Blockwatch community safety program. After a couple of years, I was Chairperson of the board and Dale came to one of our meetings. I excitedly told my family that I had met Dale Hodges and they were not impressed. My older brother David replied "Yeah, I know Dale too. I do his yard maintenance.". My wife chimed in "I know Dale too. Laurie and I do his tax returns." I started to appreciate how well connected he was to the community.

The joke I shared with him when I realized how many papers he had in his van was "If you are ever in an accident, you'll die of a thousand paper cuts!" Fortunately, he lived a long full life.

Perhaps what impressed me the most, is years after he retired, Iris and I needed advice regarding the development of the Stadium Shopping Centre on how to have our concerns be heard by city council. He not only had time to provide us with advice, but shared with us the history of that location and all the development appeals that the city dealt with over the years.

Dale was a great leader by being a great servant.

Dale was quite a role model as Alderman, when I, Helene Larocque was newly elected as an Alderman for Ward 3 in the City of Calgary in 2004, he seemed to take a liking to me. He strolled down to my office with papers in hand, and said a few kind words to me, and let me know I could always come to him if I was looking for any documents or information.. Every once in a while he would say "Hows it going?" as we passed by in the hallways or if he saw me on a committee or at a council meeting. He often spoke to matters with a knowledge unknown to others, as he served so long himself. He tended to be tough on the outside, but as I got to know him, I saw how important his role was to communities and I often looked at him as a role model in the position, never afraid to go ask him a question and listen to his side of the debate with a tone of justice. I appreciated that as I grew into my position. May he rest in peace and condolences to Yvonne and "children" and extended family and friends. He will be missed. Helene Larocque

Dale was a great asset to our Bowness Community and a great friend as well. We feel like family to Yvonne and Dale and will miss him dearly. Love to Yvonne Don and Marg Weber

I actually received a book on Greek Philosophy from Dale as a younger man and never forgot what a great man he was to Calgarians and people living in various parts of Calgary! I shall greatly miss this great man! A horrible loss for all Calgarians!

I worked with Dale at Varsity Library just before he was elected as an Alderman.

My favourite memory of him speaks to his relationships with children. When we had our annual reading contest in the summer, Dale would take the child away from the service desk to a more private table and ask the child to tell him what the book was about. This was far more than what was expected of us and I really admired him for it, as I’m sure the children did.

My deepest condolences Yvonne.

Yvonne,

I was sorry not to attend the celebration of your dear husband, Dale. I was actually in Texas at my cousin's funeral- oh my...

I just wanted to say how thoughtful you have both been to me in my public endeavours. Dale was a tremendous mentor and no-one could rival him in hard work. His crusty exterior was only another expression of his great sense of humour. He made such a difference in this City and in the lives of folks he worked with, and is missed. I will always think fondly of him.

A hug of condolence to you. Take care.

Mary Rozsa de Coquet

Yvonne: :

Recalling the first time I met Dale, was on a Saturday at the MP's office and prior to Dale running for City Council. Once elected Dale attended and spoke at ANZAC Day ceremonies, I'm sure for all his 30 years on Council. He attended after retiring from Council. When we were discussing a memorial to the Australian & New Zealand Airmen who trained here during WW2 with the BCATP. Dales response "send me a letter", we did and Dale was able to pave the way for us to proceed with a lasting memorial to these men. The Memorial was unveiled in 2004 Dale was there and spoke. Dale was Chair of Calhome Properties (Calgary Housing) when I joined the Board, he provided valuable information. Many communities outside of Ward 1 were able to receive information and direction on proposals. My community - outside of Ward 1 was able to receive advice from Dale. Will never forget his van loaded with boxes and papers, anything you wanted to know was there!

Dale has left Calgary with a wonderful legacy of Parks and how to work with your constituents and other residents.

Pat Guillemaud

Yvonne, thank you for sharing Dale with Calgary, hold close and cherish your memories.

I was a city planner who worked at the City of Calgary for almost 40 years and during that time I often worked with Alderman Hodges and came to know him rather well. I first met Dale before he was elected to City Council…he was a citizen volunteer on one of our consultation committees when we were writing the City’s first land use bylaw back in the late 1970’s. Back then, he was a prominent member of the Bowness Community Association...so prominent that he was sometimes affectionately referred to as the ‘King of Bowness’. Many, many years later, when Dale stepped down from City Council, I had the honour of speaking at his retirement banquet. The news of Dale’s passing led me to go back and read my notes from that event. Rereading the notes was deeply melancholy and moving. I’ll draw from them in this tribute, to pay homage to a man I admired, respected and cared about very much.

One of the attributes always shown by Dale was his unrelenting dedication to his constituents. I used to go out to a lot of community association meetings in Ward 1 to talk about planning matters. I don’t know how he did it but he managed to put in an appearance at pretty much all of these meetings. Sometimes he would leave a meeting early so that he could attend another meeting. I don’t think it's generally known or appreciated how Dale, in large measure, gave up much of his life to read agendas, attend evening meetings and do all those other things that were expected of him. I saw it time after time. Dale engendered a deeply held respect and allegiance from his ward’s residents and community association folks. I remember in one election he got more votes than any other aldermanic candidate in the city. But more remarkable than that, with only Ward 1 to draw from, he got more votes than the runner-up for mayor...absolutely incredible.

Much has been said of his packrat tendencies. But even without the mountains of accumulated papers, Dale had a seemingly inexhaustible encyclopedic knowledge of the most obscure historical trivia...trivia that occasionally turned out to be useful. There were times when I had struggled to put together the historical evidence I needed for some file and my problem was resolved instantly by a quick call to his office. His memory was legendary. He seemed to be able to remember practically everything. And there were times when I would have preferred that he didn’t remember things. I’d made my share of mistakes dealing with issues in Ward 1 and, at times, thought “Boy, I’m going to get it for this”. But I found that if you gave best efforts, told the truth and didn’t pretend you knew something you didn’t know, Dale was totally forgiving and for that I will always be profoundly grateful.

Dale spent most, maybe all, of his 30 years on Council as a sitting member of the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board. I presented there many times and was often on the receiving end of his relentless grilling. Once I remember asking myself “Why is he doing this to me?” only to realize later that he was about five steps ahead of me in an effort to uncover new rationale in support of what I was trying to say. Back in the days when the Board was simply the DAB, DAB was jokingly referred to as Dale’s Appeal Board. When the Board changed its name to the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board, the SDAB became known as Sir Dale’s Appeal Board. Every presentation to the Board had to be preceded by ‘dude’ diligence, knowing that we, as city officials, would be held accountable in every conceivable way. As a city planner, you’d never really earned your stripes until you’d played Hodgeball at the Board.

Dale’s legacy lends itself to anecdotes. Over the course of the last few days, many of us will have been reminiscing about our interactions with Dale and the many stories that come to mind. Dale gave us a huge amount of material to work with. If all of us who worked closely with Dale could pool our Dale tales, we’d have a collection of stories that rivaled the city library. As the ‘King of Bowness’, Dale was genuine municipal royalty. I pay my respects and thanks to Dale, ‘His Hodgeness’, a wonderful, wonderful man who helped bring meaning to my career in public service. His contribution to this city was immense. His legacy is formidable and unlikely to be matched any time soon, if ever.

Our hearts and prayers are with you and your family at this time. For a lifetime of public service and a life well lived.

Darryl and Lori Anderson

( Yvonne’s favourite paper boy)

Dear Yvonne,

I am so saddened to hear about Dale’s passing recently. Though I didn’t meet him often, I feel that I knew him through your many anecdotes while we worked together at Silver Springs School. He was a wonderful example of caring for our world, our city and ourselves, all with integrity and good humor. I wish you peace as you navigate this new reality, and many fond memories of your time together. 52 years together is an amazing accomplishment. In prayer and friendship, Bonnie and Paul Dean

You know ..when I read the death announcement I was shocked and immediately saddened. Then I remembered the fun I had working with Dale at City Hall and sadness turned into a smile. I was CRCN/CTV Calgary's City Hall reporter for the longest time and I have to say the group of Aldermen at the hall were always the best. Everyone a character, every one dedicated to serving the people of Calgary. Ward 1 Alderman Dale Hodges was an amazing guy. He was always willing to give me time, supply a comment or shed light on a story that would make it easier for taxpayers and me to understand what the heck was going on at City Hall. He was generous with his time and his wonderful sense of humour always shone through. If I asked for a last minute live hit at six..Dale Hodges was there. One day we were standing on Olympic Plaza about to go live into the six o'clock news. I don't recall what the story was about,,,but we had a good laugh while waiting for our cue to go on. I got the call in my ear and was given the count down...(Dale was standing behind me I was looking at camera...when I introduced him I would turn left and the camera would zoom into Dale on a medium closeup. When I turned I was not prepared for what I was seeing.) We all know Dale had a wicked comb over....and while I was speaking to camera a wild wind blew up out of nowhere. When I turned Dales hair had blown straight up!!! There was nothing I could do. It was LIVE!! There he was one of Calgary's most respected aldermen looking like he had stepped on an electric cord...Dale took it all in stride and I never forgot the grace in which he handled difficult situations. I will also never forget Alderman Hodges and not just for the hair incident and the hours of laughter but also for the great work he did, not only for ward one but also for the whole city. Dale it was an honour working with you for all those years. You made our CFCN/CTV news stories better. You made things better for the people of Calgary. Thanks for that. Rest easy my friend. -Sincerely Bill McFarlane-former CFCN/CTV reporter/producer.

I am saddened to hear of Dale's passing. In my opinion he was an example to us all of how to faithfully and intelligently serve the community. Whenever I had a concern, Dale would get right back to me. We need more people like him.

I had the honor of serving with Dale on SDAB for 5 years. While we didn't always agree on development issues, I never once felt he had a personal agenda in the positions he took. He truly was a servant to his constituents and the city of Calgary, a quality that is a great example for those wishing to serve.

Yvonne,

My heartfelt condolences in Dale's passing. I had the pleasure of working with Dale for many years beginning as a newbie in the Aldermanic Offices where I learned so much from him. He was a remarkable man - a champion for the underdog and a passion for community building. Dale was one of the few who was in it for all the right reasons. So many memories and laughs too numerous to mention but will never be forgotten. This dudette will miss Dale's kindness, his readiness to help and most of all, his sharp wit and humor. Thank you for sharing him with us, Yvonne.

Rest peacefully, Dale.

Adele

My sincere condolences to Yvonne and family. Dale was so incredibly dedicated to serving the residents of Calgary and Ward 1, including all the natural residents and their habitat! He was so supportive and helpful in our efforts to preserve the Paskapoo Slopes and other parks and natural areas. I have so many memories of him attending Community planning meetings, development meetings, Urban Park Master Plan meetings and so many others. Often he would just observe quietly in the background until someone would ask him for clarification or input. He would always be careful to stay on the impartial side of the line where he could never be excluded from a Council vote but if he said not to worry about some issue, you could trust that he had a plan and it was covered. He gained the respect and support among his colleagues and City administration that allowed him to get things done and be an effective representative for his constituents. He will be missed but his memory will be an example for others to follow.

Yvonne, I am so sorry to hear your loss.

Carla Bolen Anderson

Sincere condolences Yvonne. I cherish warm memories of Dale's mentorship, especially when I was a rookie Councillor; he was witty, informative, helpful and gently guiding. Madeleine King

My condolences for your loss. Dale made a huge difference in this city that he loved. His service is greatly appreciated.

You did a Great job Dale. You will be missed. Rest in Peace.......Jeffrey Engen

Yvonne and family....I am sorry to hear of Dale's passing. I had the pleasure and honour of working with Dale in the Alderman's Office for over 20 yrs. His unique sense of humour, his unbelievable memory and his kindness always shone through in any circumstance or situation. He truly was a man of and for the people. RIP Dale....

Sincere condolences from the Ellison and Pothier families. I worked for Dale as a library page when he was the librarian at the Killarney-Glengarry library. My parents Neil and Peggy Ellison were friends with Dale and Yvonne and they spent time together socializing. On behalf of my mom, Peggy Ellison I extend heartfelt condolences to Yvonne and family.

I spent my whole City Planning career at The City of Calgary within Dale's years serving on City Council. I worked closely with Dale in one key area of planning - annexation. Dale was on the Annexation Negotiation Committee for the 2007 comprehensive annexation process with the (then) M.D. of Rocky View. The Committee spent over 40 meetings, many all-day, negotiating with our municipal neighbours. Most meetings were held in a boardroom at the top of the ski jump at Canada Olympic Park. During a break one day, some of us gathered at the window overlooking the beautiful west areas of Calgary and the M.D., and as we looked down to the parking lot beside the ski jump, we could easily pick out Dale's vehicle: the one with the dashboard completely covered in paper! It was a chuckle for us, and illustrates a fond memory of how Dale carried out his job, seemingly (but never) overwhelmed with paper. I am so sorry to hear of Dale's passing. Municipal politics can use more characters like Dale!

So sorry for you loss Yvonne. I have always appreciated Dale’s service as an alderman. I live within sight of Nose Hill Park and often think of his support of making this a wonderful park. He will be remembered. Love, Gael Edmonson.

My heart goes out to you Yvonne. Dale has touched all of our lives. His lifetime work and legacy will give so much to so many in the future.

I remember Dale as a librarian when I was just school age. My mother worked on the save Nose Hill campaign he championed so many years ago. In later years, when I volunteered in the community, it was such a pleasure getting to know him. He would pop in to the Montgomery Community Centre on his way just to see how things were going, rolling in with his mini-van full of papers - and knowledge. I remember that reassuring smile and a nod and off he would go to his next visit.

Dale was someone who cared in a way we don't see as much anymore. He was one truly committed to helping those less fortunate, standing up for people who felt voiceless and always with such honour. He took time to be patient, teaching and leading by example. He demonstrated integrity at every turn. Dale will be missed and long remembered.

I remember Dale when he helped my class at TB Riley with our Animal Ambassador project in the mid-90’s. He gave us ideas and helped launch the teddy bears on their trips to overseas schools. His excitement and interest in what the students were doing made them feel special because such an important person was working with them. Dale was a true mensch!

Dearest Yvonne,

I am so sorry to hear of Dale’s passing. My heart goes out to you as you carry on without your partner. Please know you are in my heart and my prayers as you navigate this loss. I have fond memories of Dale helping Lee to earn a civics badge in Scouts. Take good care!

Warmly, Tammie

Yvonne,

So sorry to hear of your loss with Dales passing, last we spoke was at the Park Celebrations in his Honour.

I remember the smile and look on his face when we sat at the kitchen table discussing the front yard garden project.

The funny thing was you were smiling because of what we could create out front, as you had a vision you wanted fulfilled, and he was light up over the wood pen I made.

Few weeks later he laughed and beamed from ear to ear when I handed him his pen I made,

That’s when he asked if I knew he was an avid collector of pens, an aficionado as a matter of fact.

I replied Nope, I just thought you’d enjoy it and want to try it out right away by writing the check for the work I did to bring your vision to light.

Well he laughed and then wrote the check.

YVONNE,

My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family to day as we hear of Dale's passing.. I knew Dale as a librarian and as an alderman for our city. Hie did his job extremely well in both venues I also knew Dale as an active member of the North Hill

Community. His hard work will be missed very much..

God Bless,

Ed Reillly

d

Yvonne

My thoughts and prayers are with you at this time.

Dale was a kind fair and decent man and to have him as our district Alderman was a privilege.

He fought the good fight he finished the race.

Sincerely

Sylvia Constable

We knew Dale before he became alderman. He was working as a librarian at Louise Riley Library. We helped him on his first election campaign, knocking on doors, building signs. And, he stored cars and papers and bee

keeping equipment at our business in NE Calgary. This man could not ever get or keep enough information about everything. He truly loved our city. He was fair, and decent, and honest, and committed. Such worthy values. To Yvonne and family, our deepest condolences.

Stan and Wanda Veer & family.

No not an easy time for you Yvonne. I've thought of both of you often. You lived a wonderful life together. He loved you with his whole being, more than anything or anyone else. Wishing you the strength and the courage to carry on as he would want you to. Art

I met Dale in 1980 or so when I was the planner for Bowness Montgomery with the City of Calgary Planning Department. He was a dedicated and tireless community advocate even then. People and places mattered so much to Dale. In those days he had a truck, I think it was a military Bren gun carrier. This vehicle was full of paper. And as someone else remarked, Dale was always able to find what he was looking for even in that chaos. But, he was a librarian then. A fine man, a dedicated public advocate.

My condolences on your loss Yvonne. It was such a privilege and honour to work for Dale. He was an incredibly smart and thoughtful person with a genuine passion for his constituents and The City. He will be missed.

I met Dale when he came to meetings to help us establish a homeowners association. His advice was paramount to our success, Without him we would not have succeeded. I’ll never forget his car full of papers to the windows. He was so dedicated to his constituents, a one of a kind person who was generous to a fault.

Dale was the best person that I ever met in politics. In addition there was no information that Dale couldn’t find. They said that the floor under his office had to be strengthened to support all his file cabinets. We will all miss you Dale. Bob Cameron

Yvonne, family and friends of Dale - I send my deepest condolences and pray you find peace in your memories. I worked in the Aldermanic Office, and will remember Dale for his quick wit, his passion for his constituents, and his moral compass. Dale had an amazing memory, and if he couldn’t find something, it didn’t exist! Rest in peace Dale!

II have lived in Calgary for 50 plus years and I always respected Dale Hodges. He managed to create many great parks in the N.W. that so many of us enjoy. I had met him a few times over the years pasts and he was so gracious, would answer any question but what I respected he would stand his ground for what he believed in. Many times I have enjoyed the walks through Dale Hodge park and thank him every time I do. Sigh, why can we not have more of him. RIP and know that you did good and are well respected.

Deepest sympathy to you, Yvonne, on your loss of Dale. He was a wonderful alderman and humanitarian and will be greatly missed. I know you will miss him terribly. May the Good Lord be with you during this difficult time. Dale is finally at rest and out of discomfort. Blessings to you.