Obituary of Harold L Hodges

It is with great sadness and bittersweet gratitude that the family of Harold L. Hodges report his passing at his home on March 8, 2024, surrounded by his family.

Harold will be remembered as a loving father, grandfather, great grandfather, great great grandfather, and friend.

The son of the late Ralph and Louise (Baker) Hodges, Harold was born on February 20, 1924, in Dunellen, New Jersey.

Harold first came to Pike County, Pennsylvania in 1942 where he entertained throughout the summer seasons at Sagamore Resorts in Shohola, Pennsylvania, with his jazz band.

It was there where he met and married the woman, he would spend his life with, Virginia Quick.

Harold served in the United States Navy as a medic in Okinawa during World War II. After the war, he returned home where he began a career as a watchmaker and jeweler, owning and operating his own shop in downtown Milford.

Together, Harold and Virginia had seven children, all of whom were raised in Pike County, Pennsylvania.

During the 1960’s, Harold worked at AT&T Bell Labs where he focused on laser technology research. It was at Bell Labs where Harold was approached along with other engineers to collaborate with artists to mix art and technology.

It was then that he collaborated to develop a number of mechanical components for Jean Tinguely’s self-destructing sculpture, Hommage a New York, which was presented in the garden of the Museum of Modern Art.

From 1962 to 1965, Harold helped Robert Rauschenberg to create his sculpture which was named, Oracle.

From 1965 to 1966, Harold collaborated with Billy Kluver to construct helium filled balloons which were used by Andy Warhol in his work, Silver Clouds.

Harold proudly designed the “anti-missile missile”, a remote-controlled balloon as well as building a soap bubble generator for Oyvind Fahlstom’s, Kisses Sweeter than Wine, performance program which ran for nine evenings in New York in 1966.

Although Harold was blind at 60, he continued to teach himself how to program a computer while using very early screen reader technologies. He remained a lifelong scientist and engineer, which could be demonstrated by the questions he had about how things worked.

Harold was preceded in death by his wife, Virginia Hodges.

Left to cherish his memory are his children, Isabel Hodges-Smith, Robert Hodges and his wife, Mary, Terry Hodges and his wife, Stephanie, and Andrea Paskin; eight grandchildren; twenty-two great grandchildren and four great great grandchildren.

Harold will be welcomed with open arms into his heavenly home by his wife Virginia, and daughters, Sheila Hodges  and Pamela Navitsky and son-in-law, Bernard Navitsky and son Lee Hodges 

Final internment will be privately held at convenience to the family.

Memorial donations may be made in honor of Harold to Foundation Fighting Blindness by visiting (https://www.fightingblindness.org/) or Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice,  99 Sparta Avenue, Newton, New Jersey 07860.

Arrangements were entrusted to the Stroyan Funeral Home, 405 West Harford Street, Milford, Pennsylvania 18337 (www.stroyanfuneralhome.com).