Laura Lucille Hodge

 Laura Lucille Bates Hodge, 60, passed away at home on September 11, 2023. She was born in Longview, TX on April 13, 1963 to Carole Lynch Bates and Billy Ralph Bates.

Laura was a Christian and was raised in the church. She had a great love of music. She sang in her church youth choir, played clarinet and piano. As an adult she sang in the adult choir, played handbells. She was especially proud of being a member of “His Hands” a sign language choir at church.

Laura met DeWain Hodge while a-ending Waxahachie High School. They were the true definition of “high school sweethearts”. She graduated high school in 1981 and went on to study accounting at Bradford Business College in Dallas, TX. She completed her program at Braford in 1982 and she and DeWain were married 2 July 1982.

Laura was a homemaker and took care of her and four daughters. DeWain was in the U.S Navy so their family moved around from Texas to Washington state, Virginia, Connecticut and eventually back home to Texas in 1997.

Preceding her in death was her father, Billy R. Bates. She is survived by her mother Carole Bates, her loving husband of 41 years, DeWain, her brother Larry Bates and his wife Andrea, her children Amanda Altamirano and husband Mario, Melanee Hodge, Courtney Langford and her husband Chris and Ashley Darden and her husband Brandon and eight grandchildren. Ryan Pacheco, Alexis Anderson, Julianna Altamirano, Marko Altamirano, Joseph DeWain Langford, Ethan Altamirano, Robert Darden and Gabriel Darden.

A private memorial will be held at a later date.

Memorials are suggested to The Northern Texas and Oklahoma Chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.