The popular English idiom, “Behind every great man is a great woman”, is frequently played out in the small Anguillian society as it has in the case of Mr. David Hodge and the late Mrs. Adella Hodge of Tropical Distributors on the Long Path Road, Sandy Hill.
In addition to building a family over their fifty-four years of matrimony, together they became business partners in a successful manner that contributed much to the development of Anguilla.
A brief glimpse of their twin lives and accomplishments came out in the Formal Remembrance during the Service of Thanksgiving for the life of family matriarch, the late Mrs. Aenon Adella Hodge, at St. Mary’s Anglican Church on Saturday, July 14, 2018. The quiet and soft-spoken Anguillian business woman, who was born on August 2, 1934 in Anguilla, then known for its noble traditions of family life, passed away on June 18 after contributing much to her island which she cherished.
Her contributions to Anguilla started in her early years when the respected “Teacher Adella” taught at the old East End School where she was once a student. After migrating to Curacao for some time, but returning home at intervals, she finally settled down in her beloved Anguilla and met Mr. David Hodge in 1962 whom she married in 1964.
While building their family they became involved in their first business venture, in 1966, which she named “Tropical Flower”. Today, after much expansion, that enterprise was renamed “Tropical Distributors” in 1998. Apart from having a shopping facility at Sandy Hill, the business functions as an island-wide supplier of choice wines and beverages as well as water and other products.
The family also operates the ferryboat, “Excellence”, which travels regularly between Anguilla and St. Martin, and Island Gases at Sandy Hill where the National Commercial Bank of Anguilla has an A.T. Machine.
Over the years, the late Mrs. Hodge served as a Board member of the former National Bank of Anguilla; a member of the Friends of the Hospital; the Parent Teachers Association at the Morris Vanterpool Primary School; and the Anguilla Beautification Club. Despite her involvement in these, and other activities, she found much time for vegetable gardening and won several awards.
Mrs. Hodge was a staunch Christian and a member of St. Andrew’s Anglican Church, Island Harbour, which was far too small for the very large number of people, from all walks of life, who paid their last respects to her at St. Mary’s. She was accorded the full rites of the Church.
At her request, the sermon was delivered by her grandson, Mr. Jason Webster, who holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and is one of the Music Ministry Leaders at his Seventh-day Adventist Church in San Antonio, Texas. He began preaching at the Mount Fortune SDA in Anguilla at the age of 9 and, through the years, developed his spiritual life both in Anguilla and in the United States. At the funeral, he spoke at length about his grandmother’s Christian life and witness, her love for family, other persons and her homeland; his own fondness for her – and invited his listeners to emulate her example.
The other portions of the service were conducted by the Rt. Rev. Errol Brooks and Rev. Menes Hodge.
The late Mrs. Hodge was laid to rest at the Sandy Hill Cemetery.
