PORTLAND – Marjorie Desnoes Hodges died on Mar. 6, 2022, at the age of 96. Marjorie Desnoes Hodges grew up in Pelham, N.Y., the daughter of Muriel Bryant Desnoes and Edmund Oscar Desnoes, who had emigrated from the island of Jamaica. She was the oldest of three daughters and the apple of her father’s eye, with whom she shared a love of tennis and the Big Apple.

A fashion merchandising student in the 1940’s, Marjorie was working at Lord & Taylor on 5th Avenue when she met the handsome man in uniform, Charles Edwin Hodges, whom she married in 1947. She and Ed settled in Charleston, W.Va., where God graced her with three daughters 20 years, she was thrilled to relocate to New Canaan, Conn., where she fulfilled her dream of enjoying New York City almost weekly, often with family in tow, visiting museums, attending Broadway shows, operas and symphonies, and savoring the world’s cuisines. A nutrition and fitness advocate before her time, she was a daily walker, a cross country skier, and a regular on the tennis court.

Marge instilled in her three girls an appreciation for tradition, for family, for coming to the holiday table in our best, in prayer and gratitude, and for sharing our blessings with neighbors, friends, and those alone on the holidays. A people person filled with joie de vivre, she would always find the best in people and emphasize the positive. She had great empathy for those who were struggling or less fortunate, volunteering for years at soup kitchens and Meals on Wheels in Connecticut and Portland, Maine, where she and Ed moved in 2000 to be near their daughters.

Marge’s strong faith guided her through life — a daily Mass-goer, she said innumerable rosaries for her children and others in every life crisis. How often did we hear, “My life is in the hands of the Lord!” How often, in gratitude for prayers answered, would she point to the heavens and say, “It’s my friend upstairs.” And how often did we hear her say, in abiding appreciation of her blessings, “I’m as happy as a clam!”

She will be greatly missed by “her girls”, Jeanne Grandmont (Westbrook), Patti Janums (Buxton), and Barbara Groth (Westbrook) and their families, including seven grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. The family also wants to recognize the warm and genuinely caring support Marge received at The Cedars in Portland in her final years, and Hospice of Southern Maine for their guidance and caring in Marge’s final days.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church in Portland on March 12, 2022 at 11:00 a.m., which all are welcome to attend.

Please visit http://www.jonesrichandbarnes.com to view Marge’s tribute page and to sign her online guestbook.

In lieu of flowers,

donations may be made to:

Meals on Wheels America

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