W. Randolph Hodges of Cedar Key, Florida died Tuesday, November 29,2005. He was 91 years old. Randolph is a third generation Floridian whose family migrated to Florida from South Carolina and helped to settle the Cedar Keys. In 1855, his grandfather, a doctor, built a home on the island south of Cedar Key called Hickory Island, and three of his sons, including Randolph`s father, and a daughter lived all of their adult lives in Cedar Key. Randolph was born in Cedar Key Feb. 5, 1914 and lived most of his life in the home his father had built around the turn of the century. He graduated from Cedar Key High School in 1932 and attended the University of Florida for a short time before returning to his native island city. Randolph married Mildred Yearty from Otter Creek, Florida in November 1933 and began a relationship that lasted 72 years. Mildred was Randolph`s soul mate; she fished, hunted, traveled and entertained with him all those years. Randolph was preceded in death by his wife, Mildred. Survivors include: a daughter, Nancy Duden of Cedar Key; sons Hal Hodges and Gene Hodges, both of Cedar Key; an aunt, Lucile Rogers of Cedar Key; 6 grandchildren; and 10 great grandchildren. Like most Cedar Key residents during the early 20th century, Randolph was a commercial fisherman and for a while operated a fish house. He bought the local ice plant during the 1940`s and manufactured ice for fishermen for approximately 18 years. (This was before the time of ice machines) In connection with the ice plant, he owned and operated an appliance and marine store. Randolph`s father served as a Levy County Commissioner for many years, and Randolph followed in his footsteps, serving 10 years as a Levy County Commissioner and two terms as Mayor of Cedar Key. He was elected to the Florida Senate (representing the 2181 district of Levy, Gilchrist, and Dixie Counties) in 1952 and served for three terms (12 years) during which time he served as President Pro Tempore of the Senate in 1959, and President of the Florida Senate in the 1961 legislature. He was a solid member of the Senate bloc of small county senators who engaged in many political battles against which included reapportionment. The group was known as "The Pork Chop Gang." As quoted in "The Miami Herald", Sept. 2, 1959, "Cedar Key - this island fishing village of less than 1,000 populations on Florida`s west coast will within the next two years become a political nerve center. It is the home of quiet, unassuming Randolph Hodges, a rugged 45 years old native of the Gulf Islands who is designated to be president of the Florida Senate in 1961.....Although he is not a
noise-making type of politician, Hodges is a strong personality who will be in full control when he mounts the rostrum in the Senate. He will then become titular head of the majority bloc -the small country faction often referred to by opponents and by themselves as "the porkchoppers." Following the 1961 legislative session, Governor Ferris Bryant and the Florida Cabinet appointed Randolph to serve as State Conservation Director. He and Mildred and their son, Hal, moved to Tallahassee and lived there for thirteen years during which time, he served as Conservation Director and then was appointed Director of the newly established Department of Natural Resources. He retired from state government in 1974 and he and Mildred returned to their family home in Cedar Key. He raised cattle on his Rosewood Farm on the mainland, and represented Pompano Park Harness Race Track as a lobbyist in Tallahassee, Florida for many years. Throughout Randolph`s political career, he was known to be an honest, straight-forward gentleman. Many of his colleagues affIrmed through letters after the 1961 Legislative Session during which he served as President of the Senate that he "was one ofthe best and fairest presiding officers" with whom they had served. He was a member of the Cedar Key United Methodist Church and throughout his life, he lived by the strong Christian values and principles of the Church. The funeral for Mr. Hodges will be held at 2 p.m., Sunday, December 4 at United Methodist Church in Cedar Key. Burial will follow in the Cedar Key Cemetery. There will be no visitation. Arrangements are under the direction of Hiers-Baxley Funeral Services. | 