During lunch today I noticed I had a voicemail from a non-descript 703 number, which means whomever called was not in my Address Book. I thought it might be my brother, calling me from his work phone in Crystal City, since he had called last night. It wasn’t. I didn’t know who it was, and she did not leave her name. What she did mention, however, was that it concerned Todd Hodges, whom you all know I lovingly always called “Todges”.

This did not sound like a good call to be getting, much less returning.

Was Todges in the hospital? In jail? Had he gone missing? The worst fears came about when she informed me that Todges had passed away on September 2nd. I found myself pacing in the courtyard where I was outside, having finished lunch and half of a BSG Season IV episode. It’s windy and hard to hear, my heart is pounding and my body’s going a bit numb and I’m still trying to listen to all the facts.

Peggy (that’s her name who left the message) says Todges succumbed to a lung infection (still waiting on verification from this—I heard it was lung-something. Verification: cancer, of lung & throat.) and friends have divided his phone and Address Book and were calling the people in them, of which I was one.

Although Todges and I had spoken infrequently and ran into each other seldomly since having our 20 Dates together, we were still friendly to each other and had we had more time apart, I think would have become even better friends. We attempted to get together for a drink in July, but that fell through. I wish we would have had that drink together now.

Things I will always remember about Todgie: his undying lurv for Madonna (stages beyond the normal), he was a great cook and an even greater sculptor, his ability to know designer pieces—whether these be clothing or furniture, the way he called his phone a “fome”, how he loved incredibly spicy hot thai food.

The Corcoran, where he studied and also taught, will be holding a celebration of his life and retrospective of his work on Saturday, October 25th at 1pm. A private memorial service will be held later that day at the Embassy Suites at the Convention Center, Finn and Porter Restaurant, Private Event Room at approximately 2:30pm.

For donations to the M. Todd Hodges Memorial Fund, please contact Corcoran Gallery of Art/Corcoran College of Art + Design, Attention: Development Office/Janice Marks—enclose letter or add to memo line: “M. Todd Hodges Memorial Fund”, 500 Seventeenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20006. Contributions can also be made online through the Corcoran’s website: http://www.corcoran.org/campaign/gift_tribute.htm

RIP, Todges, 1968–2008.

UPDATE: Todges’ Blade obit is here and his Washington Post obit is here.