Mr. Wilma Lee Hodges, age 80, a resident of 196 Old Blounts Creek Road, Chocowinity, N.C., died Monday June 13, 2011, at the Beaufort County Medical Center of Washington, N.C.

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 16, 2011, at Paul Funeral Home & Crematory of Washington officiated by Rev. Ryan Blackard and Rev. Henry Horne. Burial will follow in Pamlico Memorial Gardens. Robbie Bullock, Jay Kenyon, Tommy Clark, Dennis Daughtery, Jerry Edwards, Ricky Peed and John Fleming will serve as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Rusty Carrow, Bill Clark, Jimmy Beasley, Isaac Edwards and Snody Carrow.

Mr. Hodges was born in Beaufort County on April 9, 1931, son of the late Uriah Hodges and the late Flora Rene Brame Hodges. He was a 1951 graduate of Chocowinity High School and married the former Barbara Ann Bright on April 1, 1960, who survives. Mr. Hodges served his country in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict. He retired after 26 years with the maintenance department at PCS Phosphate. He was a member of Union Chapel Free Will Baptist Church of Chocowinity.

Surviving along with Mr. Hodges’ wife Barbara of the home is a daughter: Lorrie Ann Hodges Blackard and her husband Warren Keith Blackard of Chocowinity; a son: Gregory Lee Hodges and his wife Deborah Carawan Hodges of New Bern; a sister: Nellie Gray Hodges Boyd of Chocowinity and four grandsons: Ryan Keith Blackard and his wife Samantha Rae Siders Blackard of Boiling Springs, S.C., Jamie Lee Blackard of Chocowinity, Courtland James Hodges of New Bern and Jared Michael Hodges of New Bern. Mr. Hodges waspreceded in death by two sisters: Annie Myrtle Hodges Hardee and Pauline Elizabeth Hodges.

The family received friends Wednesday, June 15, 2011, at Paul Funeral Home & Crematory of Washington and other times at the home.

Flowers are welcome and appreciated and the family also kindly asks that any memorial contributions be made to Union Chapel Free Will Baptist Church, P.O. Box 38, Chocowinity, NC 27817 or Community Home Care & Hospice, 814 Washington Plaza, Washington, NC 27889.

Mr. Hodges’s video tribute may be viewed and condolences may be offered by visiting www.paulfuneralhome.com.

Paul Funeral Home & Crematory of Washington is honored to serve the Hodges family.