Leslie Hodges, 75, of Hinsdale passed away on April 29, 2024.
He recently learned that he had metastatic pancreatic cancer. The last two months were especially difficult, first Central DuPage hospital, then rehab, and then back to the hospital.
Leslie was the only son of Martha and Robert Hodges in Decatur. Grandma Moore lived with the family and helped raise Leslie while his mother worked in an insurance adjustment office.
Leslie Hodges was a quiet man with a kind heart. He loved to read and was knowledgeable on so very many facts, some useless but many fascinating. Car reviews were one of his favorite things to read and he could go on at length about the features of one car versus another. His master's degree from Northern Illinois University was in computer science and he loved taking machines apart and forever tinkering with them. In the contest between man vs. computer, he was determined to be the victor.
He was self-effacing and did not seek glory for himself, but he was a fierce defender if he thought someone he knew was not getting a fair deal. He was not bothered by, but rather supported, strong women - including wife Marlene, daughter Ann Wallin and his school principal, sister-in-law Rita Stasi. He thought pretty much everything Ann did was great, and he was ever proud of her three children Charlie, Grace and Ava.
After graduating from NIU he started in a computer position at CNA insurance in Chicago. Friends Karen and Dick Clark had a sailboat at Monroe Street harbor, and he loved joining his coworkers after work on the boat. He also was a film buff and met Marlene at a film festival at the Art Institute of Chicago in 1985.
Years later, Les joined the Illinois Housing Development Authority as a computer specialist. He was proud of the fact that IHDA developed affordable housing that his father was able to use.
Les also enjoyed singing in the church choir and volunteering with Peoples Resource Center. He was easy to love and will be missed.
Visitation will be held at 9:30 a.m. Friday, May 3, in the Fireplace Room at St. Isaac Jogues Church, 306 W. Fourth St., Hinsdale.
A funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the church
Interment will follow at Resurrection Cemetery in Justice.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Orchard Village in Skokie, 7660 Gross Point Rd, Skokie, IL 60077 or online at http://www.orchardvillage.org.
Brian Powell Funeral Directors of Hinsdale handled the arrangements.
