Daniel Houston Hodges

Dr. Daniel Houston Hodges was born on December 10, 1930 and entered the gates of Heaven on Sunday, December 6, 2020, just 4 days shy of his 90th birthday.

Dr. Hodges was born in Okemah, Oklahoma to Dr. J.W. Hodges and Myra Jane Barnes Hodges. He spent his formative years in El Reno, Oklahoma where his father pastored the First Baptist Church. He graduated from El Reno High School in 1948. As a young adult, Dan served in the Army Reserve from 1950-1953. He served in both the artillery and in the criminal investigation division. He was honorably discharged.

Like 5 of his siblings before him, Dan went to Oklahoma Baptist University. There he met and married the love of his life, June Terrell Hodges. He and June were members of the Bison Glee Club under Dean Warren M. Angell. He and June married in January of 1951 and were married for 64 years. Dan graduated OBU with a degree in music in 1953 and then served as a music minister in many Baptist churches in North Carolina, Texas and Oklahoma.

In 1969 he joined the faculty at his alma mater, OBU and taught voice, music theory and humanities for almost 30 years. In 2018, Dr. Hodges was honored by OBU with the Profile in Excellence Award. After graduating OBU, Dan completed a Master’s degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. He also earned a Ph. D. in Music from the University of Oklahoma.

Dr. and Mrs. Hodges were active members of First Baptist Church of Shawnee for over 50 years with Dan still teaching Sunday School until early this year. He served as director of the FBC Senior Adult Choir for several years and was a deacon. He was a member of the Singing Churchmen of Oklahoma during which time he traveled to over 24 countries.

Dan was a highly intelligent person, biblical scholar and very competitive. He loved to play golf, bridge, pool and numerous other games. He never met a stranger.

Dr. Hodges is survived by his daughter Terri Pickering and husband Jerry of Shawnee, grand-daughters Carrie Hill and husband Matt of Mustang, Emily Lawson and husband Jeremy of North Carolina, grandsons Aaron Dyer and wife Melissa of Norman and Brandon Dyer and wife Lindsay of Shawnee and ten great-grandchildren. He has one sister, Ruth Tatroe of Bartlesville, a sister-in-law, Marie Davis of Oklahoma City and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his beloved wife June, brothers, Julius Hodges and James Hodges, sisters Frances Hodges Powell, Martha Hodges Neill and May Lou Hodges. Both sons preceded him in death, Tim Hodges in 1995 and Russell Hodges in 2016.

Due to Covid 19, the family welcomes you to stop by the funeral home and view Dan and sign his register book at your leisure. There will not be a structured visitation. The funeral service, however will be a limited attendance event that will be available on facebook live stream on the Walker Funeral Service facebook page. There will be a Celebration of Life service on Thursday, December 10, 2020 at 2:00 PM at the Walker Funeral Service Chapel. Social distancing and masks will be required.

In lieu of flowers the family humbly asks for donations to the Hodges Family Music Scholarship Fund at Oklahoma Baptist University, 500 W. University, Shawnee OK 74804.

Services are under the direction of Walker Funeral Service.