Meet Your Neighbor: Liz Hodges

Liz Hodges keeps her favorite photo with her late husband, Bill, close.
“I was married to one of the most wonderful men on Earth,” Liz said.

The couple spent 17 happy years on campus with friends that became family.

“Bill loved it here. He was happy here. If Bill’s happy, I’m happy. That’s still the same,” Liz said.

Bill felt his health was deteriorating and thought it best to leave their 100-acre farm and move into a lakeside cottage at The Summit in 2004.

“It was a very small place then and there were needs on the campus. Bill Hodges was an affable guy who moved in on music, gardening and everything,” said Liz, who served as the campus librarian for years.

The Hodges spent years cultivating flowers around their cottage and working in raised beds in the community garden. Bill worked on campus landscaping and together with Wayne Greenlaw and Leonard Johnson
created a walking trail around Summit Lake.

After his passing, Liz moved into an apartment, maintaining close relationships with friends and family.

“I have a great many friends on a campus where communication is good and the program is good, but now it is a big community and I sense the same community spirit and I’m terribly grateful for that,” Liz said.

An avid reader and genealogist, Liz has authored several books and maintains a wonderful collection from her trips around the world with Bill.

A 22-year resident, Liz knows The Summit is a special place. “I’ve visited friends on other campuses and this is a good one,” she said. “It’s a community.”