Jimmy Royce Hodgin

Jimmy Royce Hodgin, retired Lieutenant Colonel, husband, father, brother, grandfather,
lifelong athlete, sports fan, golfer, domino champion, world traveller, and parent to many
dogs, passed into the next life on Thursday, September 16th, 2021.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 55 years Judy Hodgin, their daughter Leslie (and
husband John) of Richmond, VA, their son Tim of Los Angeles, CA, their grandchildren
Hunter, Ryder, and Lola of Salado, TX, and his sister Shirley Sanchez of Comanche,
TX. He is preceded in death by his daughter Dana and his parents Roy and Ruth
Hodgin. He loved his family more than anything in the world.
Born in 1946 in Haskell, TX, his family moved to Abilene where he was an acclaimed
athlete and unsung songwriter at Abilene High School, and met Judy, the love of his life.
After a short stint playing college basketball, Jim earned a BS in Physical Education at
Texas Tech University. It was there he joined the Army ROTC and began his military
service. He later earned a Masters of Education in Curriculum and Instruction at the
University of Northern Colorado.
During his 23 years in the Army, Jim served in various command and staff positions with
the 1st Battalion, 48th Infantry; the 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry; 1st Battalion (ABN) 325th
Infantry, 82nd Airborne Division; and the 2nd Brigade, 4th Armored Division. He was
Airborne- and Pathfinder-qualified and completed Special Forces training. He taught at
CGSC in Ft. Leavenworth, the Royal Australian Infantry School in Singleton, NSW, and
coached at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, leading their handball team
to two NCAA championships. Jim made countless friends the world over through
deployments in Germany, South Korea, and Australia, and was especially proud of his
service as Aide-de-camp to General George S. Patton IV in the 7th Corp. The bottom
line was that Jim was a soldier’s soldier. He loved being with the troops, and they
sensed that and followed him without question.
Upon returning to civilian life, he worked for many years as a Program Manager with
several defense contractors across the US.
Among the things that brought him joy in his down time were grilling and smoking
meats, golfing, traveling the world with his wife, embarrassing his children, drinking
beer, and to varying degrees, Texas Tech football. He was a member of the Salado
United Methodist Church, and chairman of the church council. Jim served on the Salado
School Board, the Planning and Zoning Committee for the Village of Salado, and was a
member and former president of the Lions Club.
There will be a visitation at the Broecker Funeral Home in Salado on Wednesday,
September 22nd from 5-7pm. The celebration of his life will be held at 10am Thursday,
September 23rd at Salado United Methodist Church. The family requests that all guests
please respect their wishes and wear masks. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made
to the American Cancer Society.

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