Garry Hodgin

Garry Warren Hodgin

Garry Warren Hodgin was born on March 25, 1943, in Knox City, Texas, the only child of Warren Chester Hodgin, a life time employee of Lone Star Gas, and Lillian Magdeline Booe Hodgin, a mother and wife plus working at various jobs.  Garry grew up in Haskell, Texas, where he graduated from Haskell High School in 1961.  He attended Ranger Junior College and Hardin-Simmons University.

Growing up the Hodgin family attended Eastside Baptist Church in Haskell, Texas, where Garry was saved. When Garry was 15 the congregation got a new preacher. He met that preacher's skinny brown-eyed daughter one morning in Sunday School... and although he was not quite ready to change his ways, he eventually did, and the rest his history. He married that preacher's daughter, Sandra June Regeon on February 9, 1964.

In 1966 Garry joined the National Guard of Texas attending basic training in Fort Polk, Louisiana, and Fort McClellan, Alabama. Garry served in the National Guard for eight years until 1974.

When Garry returned from basic training he had the opportunity become part of the professional medical community through McKesson Drug Company where he received  training and mentoring in medical terms and technology.  Except for a few years when he had the dealership for Duofast Fasteners, Garry continued to be part of the medical community with MMS Medical and was vice president of Alliance Purchasing Group until he retired in 2013.  Garry received many awards during his years with MMS.  Those awards included:  Ring of Honor, Salesmen’s Roundtable, and Salesman of the Year.

Garry was most proud of his two daughters, Tiffany and Alison.  He coached many softball teams, attended piano recitals, plays, ballet recitals and was always available to help with anything needed.  The family enjoyed time together at their place on Lake Brownwood boating, skiing, swimming, and fishing. For his five grandchildren, his very finest sense of humor, fun, and love was gifted, and he took great pleasure being an adult ally to each one.

Garry and his family have been active members of Pioneer Drive Baptist Church since 1973. Through the years he and his wife taught Sunday School classes for kindergarteners, fifth graders, eighth graders, and young married adults.  For ten years he helped his wife decorate PDBC campus each year at Christmas.  He also enjoyed traveling with the Primetimers to New York, Nashville and Pennsylvania.  Garry was a very caring man by helping with late in life care of both his mom and his mother-in-law.  He stood by his wife’s side when she went through a year of chemotherapy.  In addition, many elderly neighbors depended on him when they needed help.

Garry loved to play golf and spent many hours golfing with friends and family on a variety of golf courses in and around Abilene.   His travel interest took his wife, June, and him to places all over the world especially cruising to many places including  Hawaii, Mexico, Alaska, Caribbean, Jamaica, New England and Canada, Mediterranean including Greece, Italy, and Turkey, and River Cruising on the Danube including Hungary, Austria, and Germany.  This couple also loved Broadway Plays in New York, Ft. Worth, and Abilene.

His love of family was his greatest gift:  his wife, June, of fifty-eight years; his two girls, son-in-laws, and grand children: Daughter Tiffany Melissa Hodgin of Merkel, Texas, and her three children: Michael Edward (Max) Zuliani IV and a great-grandson, Vynn Michael Zuliani, of Arlington, Texas; Spencer Easton Cook, serving in the Navy in Jacksonville ,Florida, and Caroline Chere’ Cook, a nurse at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida;  Daughter, Alison Brooke Hodgin Sims and her husband, Jon Michael Sims, of Abilene, Texas, and their two boys, Jonas Warren Sims, a law student at Baylor University,  and Landry Dowell Sims, a fifth grader at Ward Elementary. He is also survived by his many very caring cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Chester and Lillian Hodgin, and his in-laws, L.D. and Minnie Regeon, and his brother-in-law, Billy Don Regeon.

Garry passed away Wednesday, November 9, 2022, quietly and peacefully at Hendrick Hospice. Visitation will be held at the home of Jon and Alison Sims on Tuesday, November 22 from 4:00-6:00.  A private interment  will be held in Abilene, Texas, at Elmwood Memorial Cemetery on Wednesday, November 23 followed by a celebration of Garry's life at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church on November 23 at 11:00. with Dr. Jeff Reid officiating.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Pioneer Drive Baptist Church Building Fund or The United Way of Abilene.