Evan Hodge

Evan E. Hodge, 82, of Fayetteville, PA, passed away peacefully on May 2, 2019, at his home with his family by his side. Born August 3, 1936 in Schenectady, NY, he was the son of the late Joel G. and June Barrett Hodge.

Mr. Hodge earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland in 1968. He then went on to attend Special Agent Training at the FBI Academy in Washington DC and continued his education, earning a Master’s in Forensic Science from George Washington University. A United States Army veteran, he served his country from 1954 to 1957. He then entered the College Level Apprentice Program with the General Electric Company in Schenectady, NY. From 1962-1968 he worked as a Physical Science Technician in the Firearms-Toolmarks Unit at the FBI Laboratory in Washington, DC. From 1968-1969 he was a Special Agent assigned to field investigative duties in both Mobile, AL and Washington, DC. He then returned to the FBI Laboratory where from 1969-1981 he served as Special Agent, Firearms-Toolmarks Examiner and then from 1981until his retirement in 1988 as the Chief of the Firearms-Toolmarks Unit. Following his retirement from the Bureau he served as the Comparative Analysis Supervisor with the Vermont Department of Public Safety at the Vermont Forensic Laboratory in Waterbury, Vermont, retiring in 2003. He then began private consultation examinations of firearms and related items in civil litigation matters.

He was a member of the St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church in Orrtanna. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus Council at the church, where he had served as the financial secretary. He was a member and former Board member of the Association of Firearm and Toolmark Examiners (AFTE). He formed and chaired the AFTE Standardization Committee for the purpose of producing the AFTE Glossary. He formulated and taught the first and many subsequent Specialized Techniques in Firearms Identification classes to Firearms Examiners at the FBI Academy. He enjoyed golfing and target shooting.

Mr. Hodge is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Janet Gauthier Hodge; his children, Joel Hodge Sr. of Hilton Head, SC, Leslie Hammer-Fields (husband Christopher) of College Park, MD, Christopher Hodge (wife Betty) of Sykesville, MD, and Lara Flanagan (husband Christopher), of Rhinebeck, NY; twelve grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his daughter, Kimberly Whitehurst.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Rev. Fr. Dominic M. DiBiccaro at 11:00 AM Monday, May 6, 2019 at St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church, 1095 Church Road, Orrtanna, PA 17353. Interment will follow at the adjoining church cemetery where military honors will be rendered by members of the Charles Nitterhouse Post 1599 Honor Guard. The family will receive friends from 6:00-8:00 PM Sunday evening at the Thomas L. Geisel Funeral Home, 333 Falling Spring Road, Chambersburg, PA where a Vigil Service will be held at 7:30 PM.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place Memphis, TN 38105 or at www.stjude.org. Condolences and memories may be shared on his Book of Memories page at geiselfunerlahome.com.