James William (Bill) Hodges went home to be with his Lord on Friday, September 9 after a very brief bout with cancer. Those who loved him will cherish the many happy memories he brought to their lives. Bill was born October 20, 1913 in Beaumont, Texas to parents Dr. and Mrs. O.S. Hodges. He attended Beaumont schools and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Petroleum Production Engineering. He was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon social fraternity and Ramshorn an honorary scholastic fraternity. Bill was an all-intra-mural football and baseball player and was a member of the championship volleyball team. His true love was golf, however, and he got his start by being tutored by his Beaumont High School classmate, Babe Didrickson, who became the female Athlete of the Century as Babe Zaharias. Through his 40's, Bill was a scratch golfer at the Beaumont Country Club. After a particularly good drive, Babe would say, "Nice shot, son!" He worked his entire career with Sun Oil Company as a roustabout, roughneck, field engineer, field superintendent, chief petroleum engineer, assistant division operations superintendent, and assistant division manager. He was a registered Petroleum Engineer and member of the American Institute of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers and the American Petroleum Institute. He held several oilfield patents including the Hodges Multiple Completion Tool, and published many articles in engineering magazines and books. After Sun's merger with Sun-Ray DX in 1970, Bill moved to Dallas with his wife Arledge and served as Vice President and Director of Management Services. After his retirement, he and Arledge lived on N. Versailles. He was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation, Northwood Country Club and La Jolla Country Club. In 1984 he lost his beloved wife Arledge. Then, as fate would have it, he married Mimi Lay in 1986 after a wonderful and happy courtship. They enjoyed a joyful and active marriage of 21 years until her death in 2007. Bill had a great reverence for God and a love for his family. He is survived by his son Bill, Jr. and his wife Colleen, and a daughter Susan, married to Julian Bushman of Beaumont ... Additionally, he was blessed with four granddaughters and eight great grandchildren, who called him GiGi. He asked to be honored through charitable donations to the homeless. His ashes will accompany those of his wife Arledge at Sparkman-Hillcrest. A memorial service is scheduled at 2:00PM on Thursday, September 15, 2011 at the Sparkman-Hillcrest, Northwest Highway Chapel.