I am very grateful for the kind comments on the previous post, but the reason this blog has been shut down for nearly a fortnight is because of the very untimely death of my American brother-in-law, Mitch Hodge, in a road accident near his home in Arizona on Good Friday.
Mitch was a super guy who was always great fun to be with and who I was proud to have as a member of my family. There were several local news reports on the accident that caused his death, but I won't link out to them because none of them came close to doing him justice.
My wife Gill and I flew out to Arizona last weekend to be with the family and attend his memorial service, held in a breathtaking open-air setting in the Verde Valley which he loved, surrounded by panoramic mountain views.
It was a suitable send-off for a man who loved life, loved the outdoors, and had a great gift for friendship. His employers, Creative Technology, have placed this tribute on the homepage of their website.
7 comments:
Hello Paul~
I dont know if you ever check this, as there are no comments. I stumbed across it this morning and thought i would drop you a note. I spent last night playing guitar with Mike Hodge and his wife Peggy. I also enjoyed the company with your sister a couple of weeks ago down in Phoenix as we were advancing an event she is trying to land. I think of mitch everyday and being with mike last night brought back all the feelings i had for Mitch.
Cheers~
Chris Musgrove
Parks Arizona
Thanks for dropping in Chris - you used to work with Mitch, right?
I also spent a very pleasant evening with Mike and Peggy back in April when I was over. It was great to see them again.
Wow~
Seems like time passes so fast. My thoughts of Mitch pass through my mind everyday. He was my mentoir in alot of lifes pleasures. I miss him greatly and like to think he is watching over us.
Mitch's Friend~
Chris
This is Lyle. Mitch Hodge was my father. I just want to say that I miss him everyday. It hurts to think of everything he wont be here for in my life. I loved my dad and he would be so proud of me now. Since he has passed I took up drumming. I always wanted to play along with him. But now I never wil........
I would like to see the news reports about the accident. I would appreciate it if you would post the stories/reports. I would also like to thank you for making this bllog thing. It means alot to me.
Hello Lyle
I'm glad you have found this blog post helpful, but the truth is no words could really do justice to Mitch. He was not just a brother-in-law to me, he was one of the best friends I will ever have in this life.
I'm afraid I never saved the links to the newspaper reports of the accident - they were very factual and low-key and didn't actually mention Mitch by name as I remember rightly. I don't really think they would tell you anything that you don't already know to be honest.
Take care
Paul
A message for Lyle... I am sure you know just how much your father loved you. He was a very close friend of mine & he was so very proud of you. Of all the many accomplishments in his life, you were by far his greatest. I saw the way he looked into your blue eyes. His eyes... I hope it helps you to know that we all knew that.
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